RE Armageddon: Part III- Gaining Strength
by striker
Summary: Now reformed, the S.T.A.R.S. team is drawn into a deadly trap where they are not the only targets. Please read and review.
1. Regroup and Reform

Disclaimer: Capcom owns Resident Evil. I'm just borrowing the characters for my story, so please don't sue me.

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 1- Regroup and Reform

Written by: Striker

It's funny how two groups of people who have nothing in common, and who haven't even met each other before, could share a similar fate. I would never believe it, but that's what happened. We didn't know it, but my friends and I were going to get some unexpected help from some unlikely people. It seemed that fate was testing these people too. Not only was it giving them a second chance to do the right thing, it was also giving them a chance to make up for their past sins. It would also make my team, which was already strong, a powerful force that would have the strength to do the impossible. Stand against Umbrella.

Everyone was gathered around the dining room table. Chris was at the head of the table, talking to Barry. His hair was still wet from standing out in the rain. During his conversation, he kept glancing over at the others. He and Barry were discussing how they were going to tell everyone about last night. They had another objective as well, to choose a leader for the group.

"Well," Barry began, "Let's start this meeting. The first order of business is to describe where we stand with Umbrella. As you all know by now, Umbrella has a clue that we're near Atlanta. However, that situation has changed." Barry looked at his teammates as they began to whisper to each other. "Chris will fill you in."

All eyes focused on Chris. He scanned the room, putting together what he was going to say. "Last night I went to the store at Barry's request. Jill, Claire, and Leon came with me. We knew that Nicholai had all the major routes into the city under surveillance. We therefore chose an alternate route. Unfortunately, Nicholai is rather thorough. He had every possible road into Atlanta under watch. We were followed to the store. I knew and picked a place to get rid of our unwanted company."

"Where'd you lose them?" Carlos asked.

"In the men's room of a public park." Jill said, unable to keep a straight face.

"You hid in the guy's bathroom?" Ark asked. "How long did you stay in there?"

"We didn't hide." Claire replied. "We lured those pricks in there and beat the crap out of them."

"That's right." Chris said. "After dropping them, we got the hell out of the park. I stayed behind and hid in the bushes. I overheard the leader talking to Nicholai. He told them their jobs were done. That got me thinking, if those men were only there to monitor the city…"

"Then who are the people Nicholai will use to attack us." Leon finished. "You think he's going to call in someone else?"

"Chances are yes." Chris looked at Ark. "Ark, I need you to hack into Umbrella's network and find out if any agents are being sent over here. I want to know everything about them. Think you can do that?"

Ark nodded. "I'll get right on it. Looks like we're in deep shit now."

"You got that right." Barry said. "As luck would have it, they know we're around Atlanta, but they don't know where this place is. As long as we don't do anything stupid, this place is still safe. Now that that's settled, let's move on to our second topic. We are a team, so we need a leader. I'm open to suggestions, so speak up."

"I have someone in mind." Chris said.

Barry looked at him. "Who?"

Chris pointed at his friend. "You."

"Why me?" Barry asked inquisitively. "Why should I be the leader?"

"Because you've been in S.T.A.R.S. longer than any of us. You also were a S.W.A.T. team leader. You have experience leading others that none of us have." Chris cocked his head. "In my opinion, you're the best man for the job."

"Oh no." Barry put his hands in front of him. "Those days are over. That was one of the reasons I quit the S.W.A.T. team. My days of bossing people around are over. Besides, I'm getting too old for this."

Jill spoke up. "I have the perfect person for the job. Chris."

"I don't think I'm right for the job Jill." Chris said. "I don't know if I can handle it."

"Come on Chris, you did a great job at that facility. You seemed like a natural. You knew what to do, and when to do it. Besides, I'm also going by rank. Wesker made you second in command of the Alphas. Since he is no longer in the picture, that makes you captain."

"Does anyone else agree?" Chris got assorted nods, gestures, and replies from the others. "I guess I have no choice. Just do me one favor, don't call me captain, I hate formal titles."

"If you say so." Barry said. "So, what's your first official order, Captain Redfield?"

Chris just laughed. "Funny, very funny. I think the first thing I should do is set up this team. I'm going to need a second in command. Jill, think you can handle that position?"

"Sure Chris, if you think I can." She said.

"I'm confident. I'll also need you as our infiltration expert. Barry, you'll be our weapons expert. Becky, of coarse, will be the team's medic. I'll need someone to be a scout. Leon, you game."

"I'll do it." He replied. "I won't let you down."

"I'll be needing a sniper. Claire, since you've had experience with a sniper rifle, and you're a good shot, I'll give that job to you."

"Ok bro." Claire said. "At least you didn't stick me in backup."

Chris turned to Carlos. "Carlos, I believe you were the heavy weapons specialists for your old unit."

"Yes, I was senor. Why are you asking me that?"

"Because that's your job. You'll handle all the big guns." Carlos nodded as Chris turned to Ark. "You'll be our intelligence. It's time to put all that government training to good use. Consider my earlier request your first assignment."

"Yes sir." Ark stood up and saluted. "Glad I'm part of the team."

"You always were. We were always a team, now it's time to prove it."

"I have one question." Barry looked at Chris, a smirk on his face. "Is this little group going to have a name?"

"I think we should." Chris looked over his troops. "Umbrella calls us survivors. They also call us pests, nuisances, scum. They think we're just a group of troublemakers that have to be eliminated. We're not people, we're targets, things to be destroyed. I think differently. I think we're something that Umbrella should fear. We're something that Umbrella has tried to kill, but didn't. We're S.T.A.R.S. It's time for Umbrella to face a monster it has created, and now must deal with. It's time for S.T.A.R.S. to be reborn."

Jill stood up, looking around the table. "Umbrella wants S.T.A.R.S., then we'll give them S.T.A.R.S."

"And we will." Chris replied, taking Jill's hand. "Tomorrow we attack the plant at Gabesville. Barry, do we have any fuel for the helicopter?"

"No, I have to have a tank installed. There's a small airport about five minutes east of here. I know the guy who owns the place. He used to take my hunting buddies on survey runs looking for deer. He'll help us out with fuel." Barry scratched his red beard. "Is the copter low?"

"Yeah. I noticed it while I was teaching Jill how to fly." Chris looked out the window. "The rain has stopped, so we better go now. Barry, come with me. I'll need you to tell me where to go. Jill, I want you, Leon, and Claire to look over the layout of the plant. I want to know where we have to go to light that place up. Rebecca, organize the medical supplies. Have the children help you if you want. Carlos, I want you to make up list of the weapons we have. I'll assign everyone his or her guns later. Ark, you know what you have to do. Let's go."

Everyone sprang up and got to work. Chris and Barry walked out to the helicopter. Chris saw what looked a wooden tent propped over the machine. "Where did that thing come from, and when did you make it?"

"I made it when I brought the helicopter down here. It took me a couple of hours to build. Ark, Carlos, Becky, and I rolled it out while you and Jill were having your heart to heart. I had it over by the trees. Too bad I didn't get a chance to use it when we had that monster storm." Barry walked over to one of the poles towards the front of the copter. Chris walked over to the pole next to Barry. "Ready?" Both men pushed the wooden tent towards the trees that lined the back yard. Chris was surprised at how light the structure was. When the helicopter was uncovered, they stopped.

"Barry, if this thing is so light-weight, why did it take four people to move it?"

Barry scratched the back of his head. "To tell you the truth, Carlos and Rebecca just wanted to watch you and Jill."

"I see. I'll have to talk to those two about privacy." Chris climbed into the cockpit and started the engine. Barry climbed in next to him. "Here we go." Chris said. The copter lifted off the ground and turned east. 

Barry turned to Chris. "Looks like S.T.A.R.S. is alive and kicking. It feels so good to go by that name again."

"Umbrella fears us Barry. Spencer is scared. His greatest fear is that we would become a strong team. Well now it's time to bring his worse nightmare to life. We started this thing as S.T.A.R.S., and we're going to finish this war as S.T.A.R.S. I'm not playing games anymore. This time it's for keeps."

The copter flew off into the distance. Inside the cabin, everyone else was busy, driven by a new purpose. It was time for the S.T.A.R.S. to strike back.

The helicopter landed at a small airfield. Several small single and double prop planes were scattered in front of gray, metal hangers. Several mechanics were busy checking the planes. Some of them were replacing parts on a large cargo plane. Chris and Barry got out of the copter.

"HEY, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, LANDING THAT THING IN MY AIRFEILD!"

Barry saw a man in grease-stained overalls storming over to them. Barry began to walk towards him. "What the hell are you going to do about?"

The two men stopped in front of each other. "For starters, I can welcome to back." The man laughed as he punched Barry lightly in the right shoulder. "How've you been Big Fox?"

"Just fine Grease Monkey. I need a favor. My friend and I came here to get some fuel for our copter."

"I take it you've started your silly little crusade against Umbrella. I knew I'd see your mug around here sooner or later. Who's your friend?" The man pointed to Chris.

"I'll introduce you to him." Barry and his friend headed for the copter.

Chris was leaning on the nose of the aircraft, watching the two guys walking towards him. "Barry, you sure have a way of making friends. I wonder how Jack is doing?" Chris thought about his own friend. Thank God those men didn't kill him. He then remembered his promise to Claire. "One day I will come back and see you. That's a promise I intend to keep."

"Chris."

Chris snapped out of his little daydream to see Barry and his friend standing in front of him. "Yeah?"

"Chris, this is my friend Frank, or as we called him, Grease Monkey. Frank, this is Chris. We have yet to find a nickname for him."

"How are you doing?" Frank put his left out. He looked down and saw the grease on it. "Sorry for that. You work around airplanes so much, you forget how dirty you get." He wiped his hand on his clothes. "There we go."

Chris shook his hand. "Tell me, what name did you give to Barry?"

"Big Fox, because of his red hair. So tell me, what brings you to my humble place?"

Chris tapped the helicopter. "We need fuel for this bird. Barry told me you could help us out. We'll pay you for the fuel."

"There's no need for that. Barry here told me all about your adventures. If I can help save the world by filling your bird up, then I might as well do it." He turned to a group of workers standing by a fuel truck. "HEY BOBBY, GET THAT TRUCK OVER HERE! WE HAVE SOME CUSTOMERS WHO NEED A FILL-UP!"

Chris could see a young man jump into the cab of the truck. The vehicle pulled up next to the copter. The man got out. He was wearing a blue mechanics suit. He also had on a pair of dark sunglasses and a blue baseball cap.

"God dammit. How many times have I told you not to wear those stupid things during work." Frank yanked the sunglasses from the man's face. "Now fill this helicopter up and get to work on that crop-duster. It should have been finished two hours ago." Frank turned back to Chris and Barry as the man began to fill up the copter. "So, where are you heading?"

"We're going to Kentucky. There's this factory near Gabesville that we're going to hit." Barry said.

"It's a chemical plant owned by Umbrella." Chris continued. "It produces chemicals used in cryo-tubes. If we blown that place up, Umbrella won't be able to store or grow as many B.O.W.s. Hopefully we won't run into any trouble."

Frank rubbed his neck. "Sounds like you guys have one hell of a job to do. How many of there are you?"

"Six more besides us." Chris said. "The others are getting ready for tomorrow. That's when we attack."

Chris, Barry, and Frank kept on talking, unaware that the man was listening intently. They also didn't notice him walk to the rear of the aircraft. He opened a hatch exposing the engine. He found what he was looking for, a long, black tube. He loosened it a little, then closed the hatch. He walked back to the truck, and turned off the nozzle. He withdrew the fuel hose and placed the cap over the hole to the fuel tank. "All done sir." He said.

"Good, now get to work on that plane this instant." Frank barked. The man got back in the truck and drove off towards one of the hangers. "There you go Big Fox. Good luck to you."

"Thanks again Grease Monkey. I'll see you some other time." Barry waved to his friend as he got into the helicopter. Chris started it up and took off, unaware of the danger only a few feet behind him.

"Take care buddy." Frank watched the helicopter fly off into the distance. Suddenly he noticed the glasses in his hand. "Damn, better find Bobby." That boy had been trouble ever since Frank had hired him two days ago. He never got any work done, and kept staring outside, like he was waiting for something. The real pain was that fact that he seemed to be on his phone every chance he got. 'I'm going to teach that guy a lesson one of these days.' Frank thought to himself. He got to the hanger where the crop-duster was being kept. Frank looked around the hanger, but Bobby was nowhere in sight. "Where did that son-of-a-bitch go to now?"

"Yes sir, Gabesville. Tomorrow around two. I also did what you said. Their helicopter has been sabotaged. I'll report in after work. Goodbye." Bobby hung up and walked around the corner of the hanger only to find Frank glaring at him.

Frank looked at the phone in Bobby's hand. "How many times have I told you, you're here to work, not to phone your friends." Frank shoved the glasses into his face. "Now fix that plane." Bobby took the glasses and left, leaving Frank fuming. "I really need to teach that boy a lesson."

Nicholai sat back in his chair. He knew placing people at all the airports wasn't a waste of time. Now he knew where and when the survivors would strike. He would be there waiting for them. All he had to do was make a few arrangements. He reached for his phone, dialing a number. "Hello, this is Nicholai Ginovaef. Put me through to the facility at Gabesville. Thank you. Hello, this is Nicholai Ginovaef. Could you put me through to Mr. Spindlier? Thank you. Alex, how are you? It's me, Nicholai. Listen, I have a little problem. Currently I'm in charge of tracking down a group of rouges that have made it their business to blow up our facilities. I recently found out that your facility has been chosen to be the next target. I need you to do me a favor. You know the canisters you have stored there, I need your facility to have a little "accident" with them. I am well aware of what I'm asking you to do. Alex, let me assure you that the sacrifice will be well worth it, just make sure you're out of there before you get infected. Also, I remember you telling me that you had someone special transferred there a few months ago. Can you tell me the name?" Nicholai's face broke into a smile as he heard the name. "Good. Make sure she is there tomorrow. Make that accident happen tonight. Thank you Alex, you have just saved Umbrella." Nicholai hung up the phone, and then picked up the receiver a second time. He dialed a number and waited for a response. "This is Nicholai. I am requesting the following B.O.W.s sent to the facility at Gabesville by tomorrow morning, two-dozen 121's, a dozen Lickers, and two special weapons, a T-102 and a T-103. Thank you so much." Nicholai hung up the phone. He sat back in his chair. Hunk's team would be arriving tomorrow. The B.O.W.s would be on their to Gabesville, and those pests will be walking right into a deathtrap. "This time you won't make it out alive." A sick smile spread across his face. "None of you."

At the same time, Ark stared at the computer, reading the information he had just uncovered. "Oh man, Chris is not going to like this at all."

Author's Comments: The S.T.A.R.S. copter has been sabotaged, Nicholai has a devious plan in mind for everyone, Hunk and his group are on the way, and Ark has found something bad. This won't be easy at all. What does Nicholai mean by a little accident, and what's in those canisters? Who is "she" and why is she so special? What terrible news has Ark found? What will happen to the copter? Could things get any worse? You'll just have to find out. Talk about suspense. Most of these questions won't get answered until later chapters. It seems that most of the answers won't be good at all. Well, at least one good thing has happened, the S.T.A.R.S. have been reformed. Now that the team is driven by their unity, they may be able to go through anything Umbrella throws their way. We'll just see about that. Get ready for the real fun to start, but first.

In the next chapter, we get introduced to Hunks team. See who they are and take a look at their lives. It's a formal introduction next in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 2- Hunk's Army.


	2. Hunk's Army

Disclaimer: I do not admit to owning Resident Evil. The games and characters belong to Capcom. I am simply using the characters for my story. I do not intend on making money off this; so do not sue me.

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 2- Hunk's Army

Written by: Striker

Ada stood in the bedroom in front of a full-length mirror, studying her reflection. She was wearing a black bra and red panties. She was an attractive 24-year-old woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She had a well-toned body with a slightly thin frame. She ran her hand over the long scar on her abdomen. It was a constant reminder of Raccoon City. It was also a constant reminder of how she almost died at the hands of the Tyrant. 'That's Ada Wong's scar, not yours.' She scolded herself. No matter how she tried to kill the thought, it kept crawling back into her mind. The scar was hers. She had changed her identity so many times she had lost count. She would keep her first name, Ada, but her last name would be different. While it had been easy to discard the old identities, this one did not want to go away.

"Thinking about the past, are we?"

Ada smiled as she saw Hunk's reflection. He was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, wearing a white tank top and dark blue slacks. He was handsome for someone who was 30. He was 5'10" and had blue eyes and black hair. He was well built, something he credited to years of fighting and training. She turned to him. "Getting nearly impaled is not something you forget easily."

"You're lucky you just got scratched. I'm amazed that you managed to get out of there before the lab blew. How did you escape?"

"There was another train. After Leon left me, I came to and got to the train. I rode it until I got far enough away from the city. I bandaged myself up and got to the highway. The rest you already know."

"You're not the only one that had a close call. I barely survived my mission. I guess it was doomed from the beginning. They never should have sent in rookies to get the samples. I'm just glad I got out of that God-forsaken city. Sometimes I wonder if all that was worth getting a stupid virus."

"You shouldn't say things like that." Ada put her hands on her hips. "That's the type of talk that get people like Nicholai watching your every move"

Hunk flung his left hand into the air. "Nicholai can be damned. I don't give a shit if that man has a problem with what I say. I think it's my business."

"Just be careful around him. Just be careful period. Ever since Spencer got control of the company, everyone has to watch what they saw. I don't feel like having to endure one of his tirades."

Hunk walked over to his dresser. He pulled out a black shirt and put it on. "If you ask me, Spencer is a nut case. He's totally obsessed with killing these survivors. I hope he doesn't decide that all people involved with Raccoon have to be killed. However, I don't put it past him."

"Don't think that way." Ada said. "Just focus on the mission at hand. These people must be very dangerous if we have been called in to stop them. You don't need to have other thoughts clouding your judgment." Ada walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Hunk sat down on the bed. He placed his right hand on his chest. The painful memories of his last mission came back to him. He had been assigned to retrieve the G-virus samples from William Birkin. Birkin had disobeyed orders to turn over the virus to Umbrella. The man had been too protective of his creation. When he wouldn't listen to reason, it was decided to take the virus by force. Hunk was picked because he was one of Umbrella's best agents. The others, however, were just rookies. It was assumed that this would be a simple get and go mission. Hunk was chosen to be team leader. While he waited in the sewers with his partner, the other two men went into the lab. That was when the shit hit the fan. Birkin was not supposed to be shot. He also wasn't supposed to inject himself with the G-virus. He wasn't supposed to slaughter the team. When Hunk had seen Birkin, he had experienced fear for the first time in what had seemed to be years. Birkin had nailed him in the chest, giving him three nasty cuts. It then left.

Hunk awoke a few days later. He's chest hurt like hell, but he was lucky to be alive. After finding himself to be the only survivor of the group, he found the case containing the samples. He was horrified to find that all but one vial were broken. He grabbed it and headed for the pick-up point, the roof of the RPD. He found out that the city had been infected. He also ran into not only the Mr. X, but also the Nemesis as well in the RPD. He barely managed to get to the helipad and signal for the copter. He had been through hell, all for a little vial of virus. He felt triumphant as first, but lately those feelings had changed. He had felt responsible for the outbreak. If he had gone in instead of the rookies, Birkin wouldn't have been wounded. The maniac wouldn't have infected himself with the G-virus and turned into that damn mutation. 'No use banging your head against the wall, Hunk. That was unforeseen, just like Birkin causing the release of the virus. Besides, there were signs that the T-virus had begun to leak into the city from the mountains'

He was right. Ever since the explosion at the Spencer Estate, there were reports coming in from the outer suburbs of strange creatures. It seemed that the T-virus had managed to escape from the mansion. The city had been doomed even before Hunk's men were sent in on their mission. He was just lucky to get out before the city was turned into a crater.

"Are you thinking about the past too?" Ada emerged from the bathroom and walked to the closet. "Sometimes I think we spend more time in the past than we do living in the present." She pulled out a long, black dress. "I think it's pathetic."

Hunk watched Ada slip into the dress. "There are some things that happen to you that you can never forget. I don't think any of those memories of Raccoon City will ever leave me."

"It's been nearly four months Hunk, don't tell me you still have those damn nightmares."

"Don't you? I've seen the way you toss and turn at night. It's not every day you look death in the face and come out alive. I'm just glad that my men didn't have to face that hell. It took all I had to survive."

"Speaking of surviving, what exactly have you heard about these people Spencer wants us to get rid of? Could you help me with my dress?"

"Sure." Hunk pulled up the zipper that ran down the back of Ada's dress. "From what I've heard, four of them are ex-members of the S.T.A.R.S. team that was stationed in Raccoon city. They were involved with the incident at the Spencer Estate. One was a sister of one of the members. She not only survived Raccoon, but also escaped from Rockfort prison. She was caught looking for her brother. Another was a rookie cop who was transferred to Raccoon City. There were two others, one was a member of the U.B.C.S. unit sent to Raccoon. He turned on us. The other was a Government investigator who was involved with the incident at Sheena Island. I believe there were three children who also survived. One was Birkin's daughter, the other two were children of some scientist working at Sheena Island. The group has been responsible for the destruction of at least seven labs, the latest one being several days ago. Nicholai now knows that our enemy is somewhere near Atlanta and are planning to hit another facility. They must be stopped."

"Do you think we can do this?" Ada asked.

"I really don't know. All I know is that we have no choice. We should go now, the others are waiting for us at the base." Hunk pulled a blue dress shirt from the closet and put it on. He then grabbed a suit jacket from a near-by chair. "Shall we?"

Hunk and Ada left the apartment building. They got into a jet-black Sedan and drove towards Umbrella's Rome offices. Hunk had told his team to meet him on the helipad. He had received a call from Nicholai at eight-fifteen. Apparently Nicholai had spies planted at various airports around Atlanta. Two of the survivors, Chris and Barry, had gone to one of the airports to get fuel for their copter at around two. They had told the owner what they planned to do. Hunk had planned on leaving around ten. That way, his unit could be in Atlanta by nine the next morning. He didn't want to be late, or Nicholai would have his head.

It was nine-forty by the time Hunk drove up to the Rome office. He showed the guard his ID and proceeded through the gate. He drove into the parking garage and found a parking spot. The two got out of the car and walked up to the elevator. Hunk pushed the call button and few seconds later the doors opened with a ping. They got inside and Hunk pushed the button for the roof.

"How do you think your men will respond to me?" Ada asked.

"I'm sure you'll get along fine with them. If you have any problems, tell me. Anyway, I filled them in. They will work with you, or they'll have to deal with me."  
  


"I just hope I can be useful. My expertise is undercover work. I'm not a soldier like you. I don't know if I'll freeze under fire. I think there's something wrong with this whole thing."

"Now don't get paranoid on me Ada. I'm sure Spencer had his reasons for picking you. Even if you do freeze, remember that I have your back." Hunk wrapped his arm around Ada's waist.

"You always knew how to make me feel better." Ada gave Hunk a kiss on the mouth. "I wouldn't know what to do without you."

"Same here."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Hunk and Ada stepped out onto the helipad.

"Damn, you guys look like you're going out on the town instead of going on an important mission. I hope this meeting didn't require formal wear."

Hunk looked at a young man leaning on the nose of a dark green Chinook helicopter. He had on blue jeans, a gray shirt, and a leather jacket that had "Hell Raiser" on the back above a flaming skeleton riding a motorcycle. "How are you Jeffery?"

"Fine Jimmy. Now I know you told me that we would be working with someone else, but you left out the fact that it would be a hot-ass chick."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Ada said dryly. She looked around the roof to see five other people. "This is your unit? I thought there would be more."

"Remember Ada, the size of the team doesn't matter. It's how well they are trained." Hunk replied. "Come on, I'll introduced you to my team."

Hunk called his team to attention. They lined up, each introducing themselves to Ada. Hunk gave her a brief background on each of them.

First there was Jeff Skinner. He was Hunk's closest friend. He was also an ace helicopter pilot who could fly through any type of weather. He was 28, just two years younger then Hunk. He and Hunk had been through numerous missions together. They had become as close as brothers. He had short, brown hair and green eyes. He was 5'10" and had a medium build. He could keep his cool under pressure and had made it as Hunk's second in command.

Next was Jess Furrows. He was tall, almost six feet. He had hard, brown eyes and black hair. He was the weapons expert for the team. He was well built with well-toned muscles on his arms, legs, and chest. Strong-willed and dedicated, Jess would rush into any situation with guns a blazing. Nothing seemed to faze him or scare him. He was also very trustworthy; Hunk could count on him in any situation. He was 26. He was wearing a brown, long-sleeve shirt and tan cargo pants.

There was Max Cutter. He was the medic for Hunk's team. He was only 5'8, shorter than the other guys. He had wavy, black hair and brown eyes. Though he was short, he was surprisingly strong. He could handle himself well in any scuffle he got himself into. He had learned self-defense, getting his black belt in Karate when he was only twelve. Now he was 24. Aside from his fighting abilities, he was a fantastic medic. He could patch up any wound and deal with any medical condition. He was a well-respected member of Hunk's group and was always there for his teammates. He also seemed to have something for Kelly. He had on a short-sleeve shirt with dark and light-gray stripes and black jeans.

Kelly Nealson was also 24. Her job was scout for the team. She was 5'10", about Ada's height, and was strikingly beautiful. She had long, blond hair and soft, blue eyes. Her personality was nice. She was a pleasant person to have around and seemed to have a way of cheering everyone else up. She had a well-defined figure and looked like a runner. She was, in fact, very fast on her feet. She could outrun any of the others on the team. She wasn't one for shooting, loosing her nerve in a firefight. She too seemed to have a flame for Max. Their relationship had been the butt of many jokes. She wore a light-red shirt that cut off at her midsection, an orange vest, and jean whose legs she had cut off at the knees, turning them into makeshift shorts.

Then there was Janet Rissingmer. She was 5'9" and had short, dirty-blond hair with piercing blue eyes. She was the polar opposite of Kelly. She was as friendly as a pit bull and was very professional. To her, the mission came first. She would rarely talk to the others during the missions, but would occasionally open up during their off time. She was 23, but already had a distinguished record. She could handle any weapon and had become the heavy weapons expert for the team. She was also stubborn, not willing to retreat unless absolutely necessary. The last thing that set her apart from the others was her temper. She was known to lose her temper during a fight. When she blew, she wouldn't stop attacking her opponent until he or she was defeated. She had on a green sweater and navy blue slacks.

Finally there was Rick Veris. He was considered to be the wild man of the bunch. He was 25, but acted more like he was 15. He was also the joker of the group, making wise cracks at anything he could find. He especially liked to poke fun at Max and Kelly, always asking when they were going to get married. He was 5'10" and had a decent build. He had very light-brown eyes and scruffy black hair. He wasn't physically strong or was great at handling weapons, but he was smart. He was the electronics expert, as well as intelligence officer for the team. He could hack into any computer or hot-wire any electronic system. His specialty was electronic locks and security systems. In a fight, he usually stayed towards the rear, trying not to get in the line of fire. He was dependable, however, occasionally risking his neck to help his friends. He had on a white shirt with a big, yellow smiley face on the front and "have a nice day" on the back. He also had on some torn blue jeans.

"So that's my team." Hunk said.

"They seem like a nice group." Ada said. "I'm sure I'll enjoy working with them."

"Don't worry," Jeff said, "You will. All you have to remember is to ignore Rick and not to piss Janet off. She can be a bitch."

"Fuck you." Janet gave Jeff the finger. "I have a little tip for you too Ada. Try not to listen to Jeff, he can be a real prick sometimes."

Kelly walked over to Ada. "So, I hear that you and Hunk are kind of close. Is that true?"

"Why do you ask?" Ada answered with a question of her own.

"Because Hunk never seemed like the kind of guy to notice women." Max replied. "When I heard the rumors, I didn't believe them myself."

Ada looked at Max. "What do you mean rumors?"

"It's been going around Umbrella that you and Hunk are more than friends. They started right after both you two returned from Raccoon City, most of those rumors being started by that joker." Max pointed to Rick.

"Sure Max, criticize me." Rick responded. "Don't tell me that you and Kell haven't thought about running off to who knows where together."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Come on Rick, you've taken that far enough. Give it a rest and find someone else to talk about."

Ada just smiled. "I can see I'm going to fit in great with this crew.

Meanwhile, Jess, Janet, and Jeff were giving Hunk the third degree about their mission.

"So tell us about whom we're after. I heard they're tough as shit." Jeff said.

"I heard that they destroyed several facilities during the last couple of months." Janet added. "I also heard that one of them is as tough as you Jess."

Jess laughed. "Really? I hope I see this man so I can prove I'm tougher."

"I don't think we should take these people lightly." Hunk said. "Before they were split up and on their own. Now they are united and strong. The last facility they hit was done with precision. They also had several days to get organized. When we face them, it may be our toughest mission ever."

"Just remember Hunk, we've been a team longer than they have. We have that advantage over them." Jeff said. "There's no way they can be a coordinated as us."

Hunk looked at Jeff. "That really doesn't matter. These people have something in common, they all hate Umbrella. In some way, shape, or form, their lives were affected, and now they want to bring us down. There's no telling how far they would go to get what they want. What I'm saying is that they are determined to destroy us. We have to realize that."

"I think you're giving these people more credit than they deserve." Jess said. "We can take them, no matter how driven they are."

"I hope you're right." Hunk looked at his watch. "It's almost time to go. Jeff, start the helicopter. Everyone else, get inside. We leave now."

Jeff climbed into the cockpit along with Hunk. The others got into the back. The copter lifted off and began to head for Atlanta. It would be a long fight, so Jeff had gotten some extra sleep. Before long everyone was chatting away, talking about what they had heard about their enemies.

"I heard that one of the women single-handedly took out the Nemesis with just a Berretta." Kelly said.

"I heard that that one guy, Redfield, nuked the base in Antarctica just for the fun of it." Max said.

"I have one better." Rick said. "I heard that Wesker hired that 18-year-old just because he had the hots for her."

Janet slapped Rick on the arm. "Why the hell does everything you say involve someone wanting to fuck someone else?"  
  


Jess raised his hand. "I know. I think Rick just needs to get laid. He needs a woman bad."

Everyone started laughing except Rick. "Hey Jess, at least my last girlfriend didn't cut me off at third base." He shot back.

Max patted Jess on the shoulder. "He got you right where it hurt man."

"At least Jess probably knows what third base feels like." Ada said.

Rick stared at her with his mouth open. Janet looked at Ada and smiled. "Shot down by the new guy. You know Ada; I believe you're the first person to shut Rick up. I'm going to enjoy you being on the team."

"Yeah," Rick snapped, "Maybe she won't be a bitch like you."

Janet turned to Rick. "How about I make it so you never talk again?"

Rick motioned to her. "Bring it on."

"Settle down children." Hunk said. "Save it for our enemies." 

Jeff spoke to Hunk, not turning his head. "So Jimmy, you think we really can beat them. From what I heard Umbrella already tried before and failed. If what you said was right, these guys sound like they'd kill us without thinking."

Hunk turned to his friend. "Two things. One, don't call me Jimmy in front of the others; call me Hunk. Two, they don't know we're coming. We will have the element of surprise on our side. They won't even know what hit them."

"Listen Jim, we've known each other ever since we joined Umbrella. I think I'm entitled to be able to call you by your real name. I mean come on; Hunk is a stupid name to go by. Even worse is that other one you use. The Death. That's original."

"Look Jeff, I didn't decide my code name. I have to use it during my missions. Since this is a mission, please call me Hunk."

"Whatever you say Hunk." Jeff said in a sarcastic voice. "I just want to get this over with."

"So do we all." Hunk said. "So do we all."

The copter zoomed off into the horizon, drawing its occupants towards a situation more dangerous than even they could imagine.

Author's Comments: What a colorful group. Seems that Hunk's team is no different from Chris' group. To bad they're not on the same side. We also see that Hunk and Ada have scars themselves, both mental and physical. A few things. One is the fact that I royally guessed on Ada and Hunk's ages. If I'm right, good for me. If I'm wrong, who the hell cares? Due to the lack of info regarding age, I was forced to make a logical deduction on how old they may be. I also guessed on their physical features as well, for the same reason as their age. By the way, did you happen to notice something? It seems that with every match I've made between the characters, the men are always older than the women. Strange huh? Besides that subject, it also seems that Hunk's group have heard of the S.T.A.R.S. team's exploits. Speaking of S.T.A.R.S., what are they doing? Well let's find out.

In the next chapter, we find out what Ark's upset about. What horrible secret has he uncovered? Also, the team prepares for their assault against the facility in Gabesville. It's a tactical meeting in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 3- Disturbing News.


	3. Disturbing News

Disclaimer: I am using the characters from the game Resident Evil, which is owned by Capcom. I make no money whatsoever from this story, so don't sue my ass. Thank you.

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 3- Disturbing News

Written by: Striker

It was quarter to three by the time the helicopter landed. The two men got out and headed for the house. They had just gotten in the door when Jill ran up to them.

"Chris, Ark found something about who Umbrella's sending." She sounded hysterical. "It's bad Chris, really bad."

"Then let's see it." Chris said as he walked to the den. He saw everyone crowded around the computer. Jill and Barry came up next to him. "Tell me what you got Ark."

Ark turned to Chris with a bleak look on his face. "We really pissed Umbrella off big time. I did what you said and hacked into their system. I went looking through the mail, seeing if Nicholai had sent an E-mail. I found this." He brought up what looked like a letter. "It's a progress report sent by Nicholai. It says here that he had a positive sighting of the survivors. He gave your names and assumed that the rest of us were here. It also says that he contacted two people."

"Who are they?" Chris asked.

"Agent Hunk and Agent #407."

"Who the hell are they?" Barry asked. "Those are weird names."

"I only got a little information on them. Their files were heavily protected. First I'll start on Hunk. This guy is big trouble. He only gets assigned mission with a low survival rate. So far he's completed all of them. He's been sent in on retrieval missions, elimination missions, and other fun stuff. He's so good that he has a very interesting nickname, the Death."

"The Death." Carlos said. "Now that is creepy. I don't think I want to meet that guy in a dark alley."

"Then get this," Ark continued, "His motto is "The Death cannot die". This guy sure has a way with words.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but this guy sounds dedicated." Barry said.

"Or wacko." Rebecca added.

Ark nodded. "Seeing as how Umbrella has a pension for attracting lunatics, I'm not surprised if this man thinks he IS death."

Chris pointed at the screen. "What about Agent #407. What did you find on that person."

Ark shook his head. "Like I said, not much. All I could find out was that it's a she. This woman is a master at infiltration. Jill could learn a lesson from her."

Jill was not amused. "Very funny Ark."

"How does she operate?" Barry asked.

"Simple, she hides right out in the open." Ark looked at Jill. "Unlike Jill, this woman assumes a new identity for each mission she takes. No fancy breaking and entering. She blends into wherever she's stationed." Ark turned back to the computer. "Once she gains the trust of the people around her, she takes what she was sent to get. Most of the time, she manipulates people to complete her mission. So far she has completed all but her last mission."

"What mission is that?" Rebecca asked.

"I wish I knew, but the security I have to get through to find that out is too tight. I can't even find out their names or a physical description. I was lucky enough to get this."

"What do you think Chris?" Jill turned to her partner. He was rubbing his forehead with his right hand, deep in thought. He looked at Jill.

"I can tell you this," He said, pointing at her, "Spencer may be insane, but he isn't stupid. My guess is that this woman's job is to befriend one of us. When we bring her here, she's to report to this Hunk guy and tell him our location. He comes in and wipes us out. Simple as that."

"I guess this means that we have to be careful who we trust." Claire said. "Boy, that's going to hamper our recruiting."

Chris looked back at the screen. "There's one thing that worries me. Umbrella should have known that we'd try to hack into their computer network. If these agents personal information is so well protected, why was the stuff you were able to get so easy to access. It would make more sense to keep all that information in one place."

"I was thinking about that too." Ark replied. "Maybe that's part of Spencer's plan. There's an old saying that says that anticipating death is worse than death itself. I think Spencer wants us to suspect everyone we meet. That way it'll be harder for us to get any more allies, since we won't know if they're Umbrella agents or not."

"Psychological warfare." Barry said. "I'll give you three guesses as to who gave Spencer that idea."

Jill narrowed her eyes. "Wesker."

Ark looked at Chris. "It gets better. Nicholai wasn't content enough to sent for these two. It says here that he also told Hunk to gather his team. I found a lot of information on them. Apparently these guys are considered the best team in Umbrella. They've completed every mission they've been sent on. I got some names. There's Jeff Skinner, 28. He's the pilot. From what I read, he seems like a better pilot than you Chris."

"That's a matter of opinion." Chris replied.

"Then there's Jess Furrows, 26. This guy could take on Barry blow for blow. Max Cutter, 24. Expert medic and skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Tough bastard, isn't he? There's Kelly Nealson, also 24. Her occupation is scout. Nice personality and a looker to boot. It'll be a shame to mess up that pretty face."

Leon nodded. "You're not kidding. She's as gorgeous as you Claire."

Claire rolled her eyes. "Can we just move on?"

"Fine." Ark said. "Next we have Janet Rissingmer. According to her profile, she's a bitch. Bad temper, easily angered, fiercely determined, keeps to herself. Sounds like a female version of Chris."

Jill smacked him on the back of his head. Chris just chuckled.

"Jesus, can't you guys take a joke." Ark rubbed his head. "Anyway, the last one is Rick Veris. This guy is the crazy one. Kind of reminds me of me. Electronics wiz extraordinaire, able to pick any electronic lock or override any security system made. Basically your high-tech cat burglar. All these guys are highly trained and very good at their job. Looks like we have some decent opponents for a change."

"Eight against eight, looks like Umbrella has evened the odds." Chris said. "This could be interesting. These people probably think that we don't know that they are coming. That gives us a small advantage. We also have to be careful. With this group coming here, going out will be a problem. We may have to leave this place soon."

"And where do we go after that?" Carlos asked. "There are not many places we can go where Umbrella won't be able to find us."

"There is." Chris said. "I know of a place in North Carolina a few miles from Raleigh. If we have to leave Atlanta, that's where we can go."

"What is it?" Jill asked.

"An abandoned military base. It was closed in late 1996. It was temporarily used as an airfield for Apache helicopters. I got stationed there for a few months. It's secluded so no one will bother us. If this place gets attacked, we go there."

"Nice to know we have someplace else to go." Leon said. "By the way, we finished looking over the plans for the Gabesville facility. That place is huge."

"Good. Everyone, meet in the kitchen. We have some planning to do." Chris headed for the kitchen, followed by the others. They filed around the table, with Chris, Jill, Leon, and Claire standing in front of the map. Chris began. "Rebecca, how did you do with the supplies?"

Rebecca smiled. "I spit them up into small packs. I can take one pack and Claire can take the other. There's enough for two more people, and we'll still have some supplies left over."

"Good job Becky. Give those other packs to Jill and Carlos. Carlos, how did you do with the weapons list?"

"Let's see." Carlos pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. "We have five Berrettas, one Remington M870, one Custom Western shotgun, one VPK 70, one Glock 9mm, one .45 semi-automatic handgun, one Cougar Magnum, two Colt Pythons, one Desert Eagle AE, two M203 Grenade Launchers, four MP5s, one Smith and Western bolt-action hunting rifle, and a double-barrel shotgun. If I left anything out, tell me now. All the stuff is on the dining room table."

"OK, here are the gun assignments. I'll take my Berretta, a MP5, and my double-barrel shotgun. Jill will get a Berretta, a MP5, and my Colt. Claire will get a Berretta, a M203, and the hunting rifle. Leon gets his VPK 70, the Custom Western, and a MP5. Becky gets a Berretta and a M203. Carlos gets the Desert Eagle AE, a MP5, and my Remington M870. Barry gets his Colt and Berretta. Ark can keep his .45, Glock, and Cougar." Chris looked around the table. "Everyone got that?" Everyone nodded. "What did you guys do with the plans?"

"The best way in is through the loading docks." Jill pointed at the rear of the building. "Security is the weakest there. After that we can make our way through the warehouse and get to the freight elevator. It only goes down to the first basement level."

Leon pick up from there. "There's a power room about twenty feet from the stockroom. All we have to do is go down there and cut power to the security systems. My theory is that if we do that, all the electronic locks will be disabled. That means that we won't have to find a keycard to get through any of the doors."

"Nice thinking Leon. Where's the main elevator?"

"Well bro, there are two of them." Claire ran her finger over the map, tracing the routes. "One is located at the main lobby. That goes from the first basement to the helipad. The other is in the southwestern part of the building. From the power room we have to go right, down past two halls, make a left, a right, then another left. We then have to pass through a chemical storage room. After that, it's only a few feet to the elevator."

Chris smiled at his sister. "Nice job. From what I see here, all we have to do is make our way down this hall and go through a few storage rooms to get to where we need to be. If we don't run into any guards or trip any alarms, we should be in and out with minimal difficulty. I suggest that we get to bed early and get some extra sleep."

"Yeah, and sleep in your own rooms tonight." Barry said, winking at Chris. "You can save that horseplay for tomorrow night."

Chris didn't appreciate Barry's comments. "Watch your mouth soldier, no one likes a smart ass."

"Damn Chris, you are taking this leader thing seriously." Barry said.

"Yeah, well, do me a favor. Distribute the ammo and weapons according to my weapon assignments. That should keep you busy for a few hours."

"Sir." Barry walked into the laundry room and came back out with several bags. He then went into the dining room and started organizing the equipment.

"This meeting is over." Chris said. "I suggest that we all try to relax. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. Dismissed."

Everyone left the room. Jill went into the dining room to help Barry. The others went outside, went to the den, or went to watch TV in the living room. Chris sat down at the kitchen table, thinking about what he heard from Ark.

'Looks like Umbrella isn't playing around anymore. Neither are we.'

Spencer read the progress report that had been sent by Nicholai. Hunk and Ada were on their way to Atlanta with Hunk's team. The survivors being near Atlanta had been confirmed. It was also confirmed that they were set to attack another facility. Nicholai had said that he had planned a little surprise for the survivors. It seemed that in the last few days, things had been going exactly the way Spencer wanted things to go. He had ordered the B.O.W.s sent immediately. Hopefully within forty-eight hours, his enemies would be no more. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Wesker stepped inside. "Excuse me sir, you wanted to see me?"

Spencer smiled. "Yes I did. Tell me, how are the experiments coming along?"

"They should be complete in about four days. The bodies are almost completed, but we have yet to begin the mental conditioning."

"Make the conditioning thorough, I want these experiments to obey orders without rebelling. These will be our greatest achievements. The pinnacle of our bio-weapons research." Spencer stood up and started pacing in front of his desk. "Just think, countries will pay anything for these perfect soldiers. They will beg us for even one of these beauties. We will be rich men Wesker, rich men. Imagine the money we will get for just the new Tyrant. Soon Umbrella will see its true glory, the glory we should have had if not been for those stupid Ashfords."

"They are impressive." Wesker said. "I'm not surprised that you wouldn't try to take over the world with these soldiers of yours."

"Wesker, you see so narrowly. I will control the world, only I will do it from behind the scenes. Do you know how many countries are at war with each other these days? Many. All I have to do is provide one side with our bio-weapons, and the other side will ask for bio-weapons themselves. Of coarse, in order to do that, I would need something in return, perhaps a slice of the government pie. If the country refuses, oh well, I can let them get slaughtered. I will have my hooks in every major government in the world, and I will control them with fear. Fear that their enemies will have my weapons. All the while I will gain enough money that I will be able to buy power. And I will be the most powerful man on Earth."

"Ingenious sir. You do have vision."

"Thank you Wesker. I enjoy having someone who has the intelligence to understand me. You always were a very special operative. I heard that you did an excellent job in Raccoon before your slip-up."

"If I may speak frankly sir, I made a mistake. I underestimated those pests, especially Jill and Chris." Wesker's anger rose as he remembered the beating he had gotten at the hands of Chris. "Those two were too stubborn to know when to die. I also didn't count on how close those two would become. That was a major problem that I should have seen coming. I also didn't count on Rebecca surviving and Barry finding out the truth. Now I have learned from my lesson. The next time I meet Redfield, I will make sure I make him suffer before ripping his head off."

"Very well Wesker. You will get your chance. If Nicholai fails, you will take over. Now return to the lab and continue work on the specimens. I'll require a report when you begin the mental conditioning."

Wesker nodded and left the room.

"Soon I will have the power I deserve." Spencer gloated to himself.

Wesker walked to the elevator. He got in and hit the button for the bottom floor. The elevator stopped and he got off. He walked to a set of double-doors. He pulled out a card and ran it through the reader. The doors opened and he stepped through.

"Sir, the specimens are completed. We can begin the programming phase." A man in a white lab-technician suit handed Wesker a disk. "You may start at any time."

Wesker smiled. Ahead of schedule, this was going nicely. Wesker walked over to a set of cryo-tubes that lined one side of the large lab. He wiped the frost away from one tube and peered inside. He smiled as he saw the creature sleeping inside. He walked down the row, looking into each tube. He finally walked to the rear of the room. There stood a massive cryo-tube. It was eight feet tall and had multiple hoses running out of the back. His smile got wider as he imagined the beast that lay slumbering inside. He walked up a set of metal stairs to a catwalk. He walked over to a small room overlooking the lab. He stared at the disk the technician had given him. Looking around he stuffed the disk into his left pocket. He then pulled a disk from his right pocket and inserted it into the computer he was standing at. A message was on the screen. It read BEGIN PROGRAMING FOR BIO-WEAPONS Y/N. Wesker hit the Y key and the program began. The disk he had been given was to ensure that the bio-weapons responded to orders given to them by anyone from Umbrella. It also contained pictures of the survivors that the bio-weapons would associate as targets. However, the disk Wesker had contained one more element. It would give him primary control over the bio-weapons. They would follow him faithfully and his orders would circumvent even Spencer's. "Soon I will have the power, and I will control everything." Wesker laughed to himself as the program ran its coarse.

Author's Comments: Double trouble for the S.T.A.R.S. team. Not only do they have to worry about what Nicholai has planned for them, Wesker will have a group of deadly creatures under his control! Talk about stacked odds. Looks like Chris and his friends will have a hell of a battle ahead of them. What about Spencer's plans? He sure thinks big, doesn't he? Plus, what does Wesker have planned for everyone? It can't be good. Will evil reign supreme, or can the S.T.A.R.S. overcome the odds and emerge victorious. You just have to read and find out.

In the next chapter, not is all good on Umbrella's front. Hunk and his allies are having second thoughts about the mission at hand. Is Nicholai right, have Hunk, Ada, and the others lost their nerve? Find out in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 4- Mixed Feelings.


	4. Mixed Feelings

Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is a _non-profit_ work of fiction that I wrote _based_ on the game series. In other words Capcom, don't sue me.

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 4- Mixed Feelings

Written by: Striker

The helicopter flew through the early-morning sky. Inside the occupants had fallen asleep. It was a long, dull flight over the Atlantic. Hunk and Jeff had taken turns piloting the copter. Now it was Hunk who was at the controls. They had stopped for fuel first in Dublin, Ireland, then at a fuel ship that was stationed at sea. The fuel gauge now read less than a quarter of a tank. Hunk was glad that it would only be ten minutes until they landed. He looked over at Jeff.

"Hey buddy, get up. We're almost here."

Jeff groaned as he stretched. "What time is it?"

Hunk looked at his watch. He had set it to Atlanta's time zone before they lifted off. "Seven thirty-five."

"Damn, that early." Jeff rubbed his eyes. "I hate jet-lag. It's a bitch to have to get used to different times. When does Nicholai want to meet with us?"

"As soon as we touch down. He said that he would be waiting for us at the landing zone. Do me a favor, wake the others."

Jeff nodded. He turned to the back. He spoke in an airline announcer's voice. "Attention passengers, we will be landing shortly. Please buckle your safety belts and make sure your trays are in an upright and secured position."

"Why the hell do you feel that you have to do that?" Jess asked, letting out a big yawn. "You sound like Rick."

"Hey," Rick said, sitting up, "I sound much better than him when I do it." He glanced over at Max and Kelly. "Aw, quick, someone get me a camera. This is a Kodak moment." They were next to each other. Kelly had her head on Max's shoulder while he had his arm around her waist.

Janet awoke to Rick's voice. Her gaze shifted from Rick, then to the couple, then back to Rick. "God damn it Rick, can't you leave them the hell alone." She smacked Rick hard in the arm.

"Oh no, the she-beast awakens." Rick said.

Janet balled her hand into a fist. "I'll she-beast you."

Jess leaned over to Ada, who had woken a few seconds earlier. "If you ask me, I think Janet and Rick have something for each other. They fight like a married couple."

Ada laughed as Janet snapped her head towards Jess. "What the hell did you say?"

Max and Kelly woke up at the same time. They quickly separated from each other. They both caught the end of Janet's ranting. 

"I wouldn't marry that asshole if he was the last man on Earth."

"For once I agree with you Janet. I won't marry you if I was at gun-point." Rick said.

"Settle down children, we'll be in Atlanta soon." Jeff said.

Ada turned to him. "How long?"

"We'll be there in… Hey Hunk, how long?"

"Five minutes." Hunk replied.

Jeff nodded. "Five minutes."

Max looked around the copter. "So, you guys ready? I know I am. We take those survivors out and we'll be heroes."

"That's if we take them out." Jess said. "Remember what Hunk said, never underestimate your opponent. They can easily kill us too. Remember that."

"But we have surprise on our side." Kelly argued. "They don't know that we're coming."

Ada looked at Kelly. "Surprise only works once. Even that may not be enough. These people are used to surprises. It's one thing to be confident, it's another to be over-confident."

"Get ready you guys," Hunk said, "We're coming in."

The Umbrella base was situated in an old warehouse in the outskirts of the city. It was a large building with a makeshift helipad built at one end. Armed guards were patrolling the grounds, searching for anyone foolish enough to try and break into the base. Various vehicles lined one side of the warehouse. A river boarded the other side. The helicopter circled two times before setting down.

Nicholai stepped outside, shielding his face with his hand. He waited for the rotor to stop before approaching the copter. "Welcome to Atlanta ladies and gentlemen. Please don't mind the weather. The humidity here is terrible."

Hunk approached Nicholai and saluted. "Sir, as you ordered Agent #407 and my team are here. We are ready for your orders."

"I like your attitude Hunk. Spencer picked you personally for this mission. Your last mission in Raccoon put you in good favor with our boss."

"Thank you sir. When is the briefing?"

Nicholai looked at the rest of Hunk's team. "They look tired. It's quarter to eight so I think your men should rest. The briefing will be in a half hour. I'll see you there." Nicholai turned and left for the warehouse.

Hunk turned towards his group. "Well, we have half an hour. If any of you want to work your kinks out, be my guess. Meet here at eight-ten. Dismissed."

The group scattered and headed for different parts of the base. Jeff stayed by the copter, helping the crew refill it. Hunk went inside the warehouse with Ada. They were surprised by what they saw. The place had been turned into an armory and communications center. There were men looking over maps of the surrounding area, marking places with different colored markers. Men were cleaning guns and checking other pieces of equipment.

Ada tapped Hunk on the shoulder. "This is amazing. I thought this would be a small operation."

"I guess these people we're after must be very dangerous. Spencer wouldn't waste this much effort if there wasn't a good reason for it."

"But there is." Hunk and Ada turned to see Nicholai watching them. "These are no ordinary people. These pests have single-handedly destroyed seven facilities in a time span of seven months. They are committed to destroying this company. So far, all attempts to kill them have met with failure. You are our last hope to eliminate these people before we are forced to use our new bio-weapons."

"What new bio-weapons?" Hunk asked. "I never heard about this before."

"That's because Spencer recently began this project about a week ago. He believes that these new weapons will get the job done. I want to prove that I can do this job without the aid of some genetically engineered freaks. Besides, if I fail, it will be my ass that is hung out to dry. I don't want that to happen. I don't want to sound dissident, but I believe that Spencer is a little off his rocker. I also believe that that bastard Wesker has some sort of hidden agenda. I can't prove it, but I don't trust him."

"Why the hell did Spencer make a deal with Wesker? He stabbed us all in the back. I thought he would be executed by Spencer." Ada said.

Hunk agreed. "Why would Spencer even trust him? That snake loves to double-cross people. It must have been good."

"It was." Nicholai replied. "Wesker exchanged valuable information about Bio-Tech for his job and his life. Spencer is so blinded by his own ambitions that he didn't even consider if this information of Wesker's is accurate. For the record, let's pretend that this conversation never happened. Now what kind of host am I? Would you like something to eat?" Nicholai led Hunk and Ada to a table that had coffee and other food on it. "Help yourselves."

Max stood on the riverbank, skipping stones. He had learned to do it when he was a kid. He flicked his wrist, sending the stone flying out onto the water. It skipped six times before going under. "Still got it." He said to himself.

"That was nice." He turned to see Kelly coming towards him. "When did you learn how to do that?"

"When I was a kid. My father used to take me to a lake not far from our house. He showed me a way to skip a rock six times in a row. That was a long time ago, before I joined Umbrella. I try to practice every chance I get."

"Can you teach me how to skip rocks?" Kelly asked.

"Sure. First you find a flat stone, like this one." Max held up a small, round, slightly flat stone. "You hold it between your index finger and thumb. You close your other fingers. Next you aim at the water, then flick your wrist and let go of the stone." Max demonstrated, throwing the stone at the river. It skipped three times.

"Let me try." Kelly found a small, flat stone and tried her luck. The rock hit the water and sunk. "Boy, that was bad."

"Don't worry, you have to practice. Try some more."

Kelly threw four more stones. Each one hit the water with a splash. "I guess I suck at this."

"Try one more time Kell. I'm sure you can do it."

Kelly tried one more stone. She flicked it at the water. It hit and skipped once. "I did it! I can't believe I did it! It skipped!"

"Good job Kell." Max walked over to a log that was lying in the gravel. He sat down and stared at the river. Kelly came over and sat next to him. He looked at her, then back at the river. "Hey Kell, do you think everyone's right?"

"Right about what?"

"About Janet and Rick being perfect for each other."

Kelly laughed. "I thought it would be about us."

"In a way, it is. We've known each other for six years, right."

"Right. We both joined Hunk's unit at the same time."

"You also know that for the last four years we have been getting close. Well, I think that maybe it's time we get closer."

"I know. I feel the same way. But don't you think we should wait until after our mission?"

Max put his hand on Kelly's shoulder. "I think this may be the last chance we get. I don't know if we can complete this mission. Everyone says that these people are dangerous. If so, we may not survive."

"Don't talk that way. It's like you're giving up before the mission has even begun. We will get through this, like we always have. Remember that we're a team, we will work together to complete the mission."

"It's just that there's something I want to tell you." Max steadied his nerves. "I love you."

Kelly didn't know what to say. There were tears in her eyes. "I love you too."

Max smiled as he pulled Kelly close to him. They closed their eyes as they kissed. They went at it for a few minutes before pulling apart.

Kelly was panting. "What if anyone saw us?"

Max winked at her. "Let them talk. I don't care anymore."

They both stood up and embraced each other. They stood there for a while, happy to be together.

It was five after eight when Jeff, Jess, and Janet gathered in front of the helicopter.

"Damn," Jess said, "You should see the guns they have stockpiled in there. They seem like they're getting ready for World War III. And talk about heavy artillery. They must be planning on blowing something up."

"Probably the enemy's base camp. They want to be sure they get the job done." Jeff said. "I think that's overkill. They should at least try to capture them alive."

Jess looked around. "Where are the others?"

Janet pointed towards the river. "Max and Kelly went down there. Rick's inside, drooling all over the electronics, and Hunk and Ada are still touring the grounds. I say we just wait here."

Just then, Rick came out of the warehouse. "You guys should see the hardware they got here. It's a techno-junkies' dream come true. I don't care if they charge me with insubordination, but they will need a crow-bar to get me away from this place."

Janet rolled her eyes. "Leave it to Rick to get a hard-on over a computer."

"At least I don't suffer from permanent PMS." He shot back.

"That's it, I took your shit for long enough. This time I'm going to kick your mother-fucking ass!"

"Whoa there, don't do something you'll regret." Jess got between Rick and Janet.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to regret this." Janet was seething.

"Don't be writing checks your bitch ass can't cash." Rick said, getting into a fighting stance.

"Rick, Janet, cool it." Jeff looked at both of them. "Save it for the mission. We don't need you two killing each other now. What would Hunk say?"

"I would say that you're right." Everyone turned to see Hunk and Ada come from around the warehouse. "We don't need to be fighting each other. Where are Max and Kelly?"

"Here they come now." Jess pointed to the river. Max and Kelly were walking towards the group hand-in-hand. "I'll let you guess what they were doing."

The two joined the others. Hunk began to speak. "Very soon we will be briefed by Nicholai. I talked to him earlier. He wouldn't say much except that we cannot fail. We will be going up against a very dangerous enemy. I need you all to be on your best. Now all we do is wait for Nicholai.

"Then wait no more." Nicholai was standing at the door to the warehouse. "If you would, I would like to get this briefing under way. This way please." Nicholai lead the group to a section of the warehouse that used to be the security office. He sat down in a chair and began. "As you well know, the group we are to eliminate has picked a chemical plant near Gabesville, Kentucky. I learned of this from a mole I planted at an airfield a few miles from the city. Two of the targets had brought their helicopter in for refueling. My mole overheard their conversation. What I was told was reinforced by a call I received earlier this morning. It was from a friend of mine who works at the plant. It seems as though these survivors had someone on the inside. It seems that this person released the T-virus into the facility. Now the place is infected."

"My god." Ada gasped. "That's terrible."

"Who was it?" Hunk asked.

"A young female scientist by the name of Eliza Walker. We believe she was manipulated into helping our enemies by releasing the virus and compromising security. From the way things sounded, she released the virus last night. The plant is a complete loss. Your orders are to go in, eliminate the survivors and that traitor Walker, set the self-destruct, and finally evacuate the facility."

Jeff raised his hand. "Excuse me sir, but who are these people?"

Nicholai nodded. "Very well, you deserve to know who you're up against." He produced a list from his pocket and read the names. "Chris Redfield, ex-USAF and ex-S.T.A.R.S. Jill Valentine, ex-Delta, former thief, and ex- S.T.A.R.S. as well. Barry Burton, former S.W.A.T. team leader and ex- S.T.A.R.S. Rebecca Chambers, ex- S.T.A.R.S. and biochemist. Claire Redfield, Chris' sister. Leon Kennedy, former rookie cop. Carlos Oliveria, ex-U.B.C.S member, mercenary, and traitor. Ark Thompson, government investigator. These people are all extremely dangerous and should be handled with extreme caution."

"Ex-Air Force! Ex-Delta! A mercenary, and a government agent!" Rick exclaimed. "How come we didn't know about this sooner? I mean that Delta chick will be bad enough, but Air Force. I heard those guys have bad attitudes. This is going to suck."

"Settle down Rick," Janet said, "You may not have the balls, but I personally want Oliveria."

Nicholai laughed. "That's the spirit I want to see. These roaches may be good, but their luck has just run out. They will pay for what they have done, and I have complete confidence that you will see to it. You leave at nine. Get ready to leave."

"Yes sir." Hunk motioned for his group to follow him. He led them out of the warehouse and across the helipad. He led them to a spot he had picked during his tour. When everyone had gathered around him, he spoke. "What I'm about to say may be grounds for punishment, so if you don't want to hear this, leave."

"Go on." Jeff said. "We're listening."

"Very well. I don't like this one bit. This is too much of a coincidence. Isn't it funny how those survivors just happened to have someone who had access to the T-virus working at this plant? I think something is up, I just don't know what."

"I think this is odd too." Jess said. "I don't feel very comfortable about this whole situation."

"I'm wondering is this isn't some sort of setup." Ada said. "This sounds like the Spencer Mansion incident. I'm starting to think that the spill wasn't an accident. I also think that the whole deal with the U.B.C.S. is a load of shit too."

Hunk closed his eyes. "I know. A lot of strange things have been happening with Umbrella recently. I'm starting to wonder who the bigger monsters are, the creatures we create, or the people in charge."

"I heard what happened at Sheena Island." Max said. "I don't think that was an accident either. With all that's happened these past few months, I wonder if we're on the right side."

"Like it or not, we have a job to do." Janet said. "I say we get this over with, then talk about our conspiracy theories."

"Maybe you should open your eyes." Kelly said, staring at Janet. "Something is wrong here. One minute we're told one thing, the next minute something else. This is too much of a coincidence."

"I agree with Kelly." Rick said. "Seems to me that Umbrella's telling everyone different stories. From what I heard about Raccoon City being nuked, it was more like a cover-up than anything else. Umbrella seemed to have a different story for everyone."

Hunk looked at the ground. "It seems that Umbrella is covering things up. They've blamed everyone but themselves. I even read that they held the S.T.A.R.S. team responsible for the outbreak at Raccoon." Hunk looked around at his team. "What I'm saying is that maybe Umbrella aren't the good guys here. I also think that Nicholai is more involved with the Gabesville plant than he's letting on. Whatever the case may be I need to know something. Whatever happens, I need to know that you will follow MY orders without question."  
  
Jeff stepped forward. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that we would follow you through hell. As far as we're concerned, you are our leader, and no one else."

"Thank you. Now lets get ready. One more thing, let's keep this conversation to ourselves."

The group started back to the warehouse. When they had left, Nicholai emerged from behind some crates. He had heard everything. "You're more correct than you think Hunk. It will be so unfortunate that your team will parish in that facility. As I said, you were the best."

Author's Comments: Coincidence my ass. It's too bad that Hunk's suspicions are all too real. It seems that Hunk's team also have their doubts about Umbrella. Too bad they're more right than they know. Oh, and how about Max and Kelly. Looks like love is in the air. How will this affect the mission, stay tuned to find out. We also know who the mystery person is. It's Eliza Walker from Resident Evil 1.5. Told you all the characters from Resident Evil would be in this story, even if the games they were in were never released, or finished for that matter. By the way, to all the women out there, my apologies. From what I have heard PMS is not laughing matter. If you do have a problem with this, I quote the First Amendment. FREEDOM OF SPEECH!

The mission is underway in the next chapter. The S.T.A.R.S. team finally sets out, but things go wrong from the start. Compound that with the fact that they have no idea that the T-virus is loose in the plant, and you're looking at some major surprises. See this and more in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 5- Let's Try This Again.


	5. Let's Try This Again

Disclaimer: Resident Evil is the rightful property of Capcom. I in no way suggest that I own it. I also believe that the folks at Capcom have better things to do with their time than suing me.

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 5- Let's Try This Again

Written by: Striker

Chris stood at the kitchen table, dressed in his black attire. He was studying the floor plans, tracing the route through the plant. He wanted this mission to go without incident. More importantly, he didn't want a repeat of the last mission. Then he was messed up. He wasn't thinking straight. Now he had his head together. He wouldn't do anything stupid. Now, more than ever, he was concentrated on destroying Umbrella. Nothing could stop him now.

Chris looked up to see Jill and Claire watching him. They too had changed into their battle gear. Chris had instructed everyone to wear the same clothes they had worn to the last facility. Jill walked up to Chris. "Going over things before we leave?"

"Yeah. I want to be prepared for anything we run into. I'm not going to make the same mistakes that I made at the last plant."

"Still having regrets about the last mission?" Claire asked.

"That's ancient history. This time everything will be different." Chris picked up his Berretta and pulled back the top slide.

Claire looked at her brother inquisitively. "In what ways?"

"For starters, I don't plan to die." Chris hit the release button, the slide slamming back into place. "Let's try this again, shall we?"

The team assembled in front of the cabin. Everyone was dressed appropriately for the mission. Ark had on the same outfit he had worn to Sheena Island. Claire had decided not to wear her red jacket, but not after a heated argument with her brother. Rott stood on the porch watching Chris make his pre-mission speech.

"In a few minutes we will be heading off to another Umbrella base. This will be just like before. We get in, set the timer, and then get our asses out of there before the place goes up like a Roman candle. Now I know that some of you still have memories of the last mission. Let me guarantee you that what I did last time will never happen again. Now let's go and give Umbrella hell."

Chris got into the cockpit, placing his weapons in the space between the two seats. Jill climbed into the other seat. She had told Chris that she wanted to watch how he flew the copter. The real reason was she wanted to be near him. The others filed into the back. Leon, Claire, and Ark took one side while Carlos, Rebecca, and Barry got the other side. Chris started the helicopter up and took off.

It was three hours into the flight when Jill turned to Chris. "Chris, I may sound paranoid, but I have a bad feeling about this."

Chris looked at her, then back to the windshield. "So do I. I guess it's because whenever we thought everything was fine, something unexpected happens. Maybe its just force of habit."

"I hope you're right." Jill replied. "But I just can't shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen."  
  
"You're nervous Jill, we all are. And I can understand why. After the shit I pulled last time, I wouldn't blame anyone for being on edge."

"This has nothing to do with you. It's from personal experience. Something always seems to go wrong, and at the most inopportune moment."  
  
Chris smiled. "You mean like Murphy's Law?"

Jill gave him a funny look. "Murphy's Law?"

"You never heard of Murphy's Law?"

"No. Why? Should I have?"

"You should have heard someone say it at least once. It's only the biggest theory to why shit happens. Murphy's Law states that whatever can go wrong will go wrong. I have my own version. Mine goes like this. Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and if it can go wrong, it usually will."

"I feel much better now." Jill said. "From what you said, we'll probably be facing a whole army when we get to that plant."

"Don't worry Jill, it could be worse than that. We could face an army of Tyrants."

She slapped him hard on the arm. "Don't even joke about that. I hope I never see another Tyrant in my life."

Chris turned to her. "If it'll make you feel better, if we do run into a Tyrant, I'll gladly get maimed, mauled, pounded, or tossed around so you won't have to."

"Will you do the same thing for me?" Claire chimed in.

Chris looked at her. "Hell no. You got Leon to protect you."

"But I'm your sister Chris. You have to protect me. It's what big brothers do."

"You're a big girl now. Besides, I thought you didn't need other people watching out for you." Chris turned back towards the windshield. Claire let out a sigh and shook her head while the others laughed. 'For our sake Jill, you better just be paranoid.'

The factory was silent. Silent only for the occasional moan that echoed through the desolate halls. Silent only for the sounds of shuffling feet over the tiled floors. Silent only for the inhuman shrieks that bounced off the concrete walls. Silent only for the unearthly hisses and clicking of claws as dark forms stalked the corridors. Finally, it was silent only for the sound of someone running through the halls, trying to stay alive. Besides that, the factory was silent.

A young woman around 22 ran through the plant, trying to find a safe place to hide. Her long, blond hair bounced up and down as she ran. Her green eyes were filled with terror. She had on a white lab shirt and blue jeans. She had been running all morning. She had arrived for work as usual but found it odd that the receptionist wasn't at the main desk. She had searched around before coming upon the body. It had been partially eaten and looked like the person it used to be was recently killed. She had then heard a sound behind her. She had turned to see what it was. It had been a zombie, its mouth covered in blood. She had run screaming from it, only to run into other terrors. Ever since, she had been trying to find a place to hide. However, it seemed that every room she entered had zombies or those other creatures. Now she knew of one place to hide, the power room. To get to that, she would have to go through the warehouse. 

She ran into a bathroom, relieved to find no monsters inside. She walked over to the wall and sat down, resting against it. She was exhausted from all the running. Now she had time to think.

She began to talk to herself. "What the hell is going on? I know those people are zombies, but what are those other things? I've never seen them before in my life. This is just like what I heard happened at the Spencer Mansion."

She had heard the stories about the mansion and also about Raccoon City. She was glad that she wasn't involved, but now the same thing had happened here.

"But how? How did these people get infected? How did those creatures get here? This is just a chemical plant, what the hell happened?"

She began to cry, fearful that she too might become one of those zombies.

"No, you can't break down now. You have to get up and move. You have to survive."

She pushed herself up and moved to the door. She listened closely for any sounds of movement. When she didn't hear anything, she pulled open the door and took off for the warehouse.

Chris checked his position. It would only be a few minutes until his team would arrive at their destination. He checked the fuel gauge one last time. It had been four hours so far. He wanted to make sure he had enough fuel to get back home. There was over half a tank left, plenty to get back home. He looked over a Jill, who was fidgeting in her seat.

"Still nervous honey?"

Jill smiled. "Yeah. I just can get rid of that feeling. I just know something is going to happen."

Chris put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Listen, we'll be landing in fifteen minutes. Try to relax. I don't feel like getting shot in the ass by you because your hand was shaking. Everything will be fine."

Jill giggled at his little joke. "I guess you're right. It's just that whenever I have a feeling like this, I'm right."

"Yeah, well…" Chris didn't finish his sentence. He was interrupted by an alarm going off, followed by flashing lights. "Shit."

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Barry yelled.

"WE'RE GOING DOWN, THAT'S WHAT!" Chris yelled back. He saw a clearing to his right and headed for it. "HOLD ON. THIS IS GOING TO BE ROUGH!"

Chris pulled back on the stick as the helicopter approached the ground. It hit with a thud, everyone getting shaken from the impact. Black smoke began to pour from the back. Chris checked the gauges until he found out what was wrong. "You have to be kidding me." He moaned.

"What's wrong? Why did we have to land?" Jill asked.

Chris pointed at the temperature gauge. "The engine overheated. It's just like a car, the engine gets too hot and the whole thing shuts down."

"This sure as hell better not be fate testing us again." Jill leaned forward and put her hands on her face. "You know Chris…"  
  


He cut her off. "Don't tell me I told you so."

"I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say that I hate when I'm right."

"Come on, let's see why the engine overheated."

Everyone started to get out. Barry noticed that Ark was shaking. "What's wrong with you?"  
  


Ark looked at him. "Nothing, just deja vu. I was in a helicopter crash once. I almost died."

"I was in one too." Rebecca said. "It was just like this one."

Upon hearing that, Barry got an idea. "Hey Chris, check the engine. I have a sneaking suspicion this wasn't a freak accident."

Chris walked over to the left side of the copter. Black smoke continued to stream out from the engine compartment. "This is going to suck." He mumbled. He tried to open the hatch, but pulled back his hand as soon as his fingers touched the metal. "AW DAMN!"

"A little hot bro?" Claire asked mockingly.

"Here, let me." Carlos pulled out a handkerchief ha always carried with him. He pulled open the hatch, catching a face full of smoke. He stepped back gagging. "It's all yours."

Chris waved the smoke away until he could see inside. "How the hell? The radiator hose is disconnected. It must have come loose while we were flying."

Barry came over for a closer look. He grabbed the hose, examining it more closely. "This couldn't have come loose. I checked the engine a few days ago. This hose was fine."

"Obviously not any more." Leon said. "How do you think it could have come off?"

Chris looked at the hose. He then noticed something. "Wait a minute, when a radiator hose breaks, it usually happens along the middle or snaps off above the joint. This looks like it came loose at the joint."

"That's impossible." Barry said. "That joint is screwed on. It couldn't do that unless it…" Barry paused. "Fuck."

"Unless it was tampered with." Chris said. "In other words, it was sabotaged. Someone messed with this engine."

"Wait a minute." Ark looked around at the others. "The only people who could have fooled around with the helicopter are," He swallowed, "Us."

Carlos put up his hands. "Don't go suspecting me. I never left the house last night."

Chris was staring at the ground, trying to think how this could have happened. "No, it couldn't be one of us. That's what Umbrella wants us to think. The only other place this could have happened was at the airfield." It suddenly came to him. "Son of a bitch! That little bastard!" Chris slammed the side of the copter.

"What about the airfield? What bastard?" Barry asked.

"Let's just say your friend should be more careful about who he hires. That guy who was filling up the copter must have loosened the hose."  
  
"And we told Frank our whole plan." Barry hung his head. "God, how could we be so stupid."

Jill patted Barry on the back. "How could you have known? Don't beat yourself up over this." She then turned to Chris. "Can you fix this?"

"I don't know if I can. I was taught to fly helicopters, not to fix them. Besides, I don't think we have the parts or the tools for this. We're going to have to find some other way out of here. We also have another problem."

Claire followed her brother as he went to the cockpit. "What problem is that?"

Chris grabbed his guns, slinging the MP5 over his shoulder and grabbing the shotgun. "If that guy heard everything we said, then Nicholai knows we're coming." He turned to his sister. "I say we shouldn't disappoint him." Chris pumped the shotgun and shoved it into his back holster. "Grab your stuff and get ready to move out."

The group gathered up the weapons and supplies from the copter. They started walking towards the chemical plant, watching for any Umbrella soldiers that could be hiding in the trees.

Jill moved up to Chris. "What do you think Nicholai has planned for us?"

"I haven't a clue." Chris replied. "Knowing him, expect anything."

"You don't think he sent those Special Forces guys here, do you." Carlos said.

"Yeah." Rebecca added. "I'm scared. What if he has the place bobby trapped?"

"He's probably going to capture us, and then gloat like Wesker." Barry said.

Chris looked back at the group. "We won't know until we get there. Now be quiet, we're getting close."

The woman ran down the long hall. 'Just a few more feet.' She told herself. 'Just a few more feet and you'll be OK.' She failed to notice the ominous shape of a Hunter emerge from one of the rooms she past. It stared at her with hungry eyes before it started to silently follow her.

It took the S.T.A.R.S. team a half hour to reach the plant. They made their way around back to the loading docks. Jill moved up to the employee entrance and picked the lock. She stepped back and Leon took her place. He pushed open the door and began to step inside. Suddenly he stopped, his nose picking up a familiar odor. He covered his nose and mouth with his right hand. 

He muttered one word. "Shit."

Chris came up beside him. "What's wrong?" Soon he picked up the same stench. It was the same stench he had smelled at the Spencer Estate, Rockfort Prison, and the Antarctic Base. "He didn't."

"He didn't what?" Claire walked up to join her brother, but her question was soon answered. "Oh God, zombies."

"Yeah," Chris replied, "He had the T-virus released in this plant. It's a trap."

"That's all the more reason to destroy this place." Jill said. "We have to stop the virus from escaping."

Chris drew his Berretta. "Then let's go." He stepped inside, followed by the others. They spread out by twos. They were in for only a few seconds when the moaning began. "Alright, let's take them out."

The team moved through the warehouse. Chris and Jill rounded a crate and came upon three zombies enjoying a meal. "Dinnertime's over." Jill said as she and Chris shot the monsters in the head. The three fell, blood and tissue oozing from the holes in their heads. Chris pumped two shots into the carcass, making sure it wouldn't get back up.

Claire and Leon came to an open space. "Leon, to your right!" Claire said. Leon turned to see a zombie coming at him. Leon fired one shot from his Custom Western, blowing a hole in the zombie's chest. Meanwhile, Claire had spotted a couple coming her way. She fired a grenade at the group. The zombies exploded in a shower of blood and guts as the grenade ripped through them. 

"Nice one Claire." Leon said.

Claire looked at the body lying a few feet from Leon. "Not too bad yourself."

Carlos fired his MP5, cutting down a hoard that was approaching him. The zombies dropped, twitching as fluid ran from the holes. "Hasta la vista senior." 

Rebecca was busy with two of her own. She nailed one twice in the chest before hitting it in the throat. The other she hit in the right shoulder and then in its left eye. She turned to Carlos. What she saw made a chill run up her spine. "CARLOS, BEHIDE YOU!" He spun around to see a Licker staring at him. He ducked just in time to avoid its razor-sharp tongue. "OVER HERE!" The Licker turned just in time to see Rebecca fire a round from her grenade launcher. The grenade hit its back. Its limbs shook violently as its spine was blasted apart. Rebecca walked up to it and shot it in the head.

Carlos walked up next to her. "Thanks senorita, I didn't even hear it."

"It's nothing. Besides, I owned you one."

Carlos looked down at the dead Licker. "First zombies, now Lickers. This is getting really bad Becky."

Rebecca yelled at the top of her lungs. "WATCH OUT, THERE ARE LICKERS HERE TOO."

"Lickers? Now we have to deal with Lickers?" Barry said to Ark.

Ark looked around the warehouse. "Great, they could be anywhere. We won't be able to see them until they're right on top of us."

Barry was about to speak when he saw movement to his left. He turned to see a Licker clinging to the side of a crate. It let out a hiss before leaping at him. "I don't think so." Barry fired his Python, catching the creature in its chest. The recoil sent it backwards. Barry followed it and fired another round as soon as the Licker hit the ground. The bullet entered its mouth and exited the back of its brain. "Chew on that." Barry spat at it.

"That had to hurt." Ark said. Suddenly a zombie grabbed him from behind. He yelled and elbowed it in the jaw, breaking it off. He then whipped out his Glock and fired point-blank into its head, blood spraying everywhere. Ark wiped the guck from his face. "This fucking sucks. There's no way this can get worse."

Suddenly an ear-piercing scream filled the room. "You were saying Ark." Barry said.

"Come on." Together, Barry and Ark ran off in the direction of the scream.

Author's Comments: The zombies return, AAAHHHHH. Told you they would make a return. And with Lickers joining the party, it's only going to get gorier. Just the way I like it. What, just because I like zombies dying in gruesome fashion doesn't make me a sadist. Does it? Well, I think that's a matter of opinion. Hey, how'd you like the fact that Chris called Jill honey? Kind of cute if you ask me. I just felt that I needed to put in some romantic shit. Also, Murphy really has something going with his law. And score one for women's intuition. By the way, I'm no expert about helicopter engines, so I may be wrong about the radiator stuff. If I am, sue me. On second thought, don't. Well, let's see what's up next for our heroes.

In the next chapter, the woman's identity is revealed. Of coarse if you didn't figure it out, you didn't read chapter 4. Also, the team discovers that Hunters are on the loose. Holy shit. You'll also find out a little of this woman's past. Stay tuned for RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 6- Who The…?


	6. Who The..?

Disclaimer: Capcom owns the rights to Resident Evil. I am borrowing the characters, monsters, and general overview of the series for my story. I in no way plan on making money from this. Please don't sue me, as you won't get much money from me.

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 6- Who The…?

Written by: Striker

"Who the hell was that?" Chris said.

"Hell if I know." Jill replied.

The two partners had heard Becky's warning about Lickers, then the scream. They were now heading for the source. They ran into Leon, Claire, Carlos, and Rebecca on the way.

"Looks like we got ourselves a survivor." Leon said.

"That may not be for long." Carlos said. "With zombies and Lickers around, the person may be dead."

Rebecca looked around. "Where are Barry and Ark?"

"They're probably doing what we should be." Chris said. "Trying to find the person before he or she gets killed."

The group ran towards the place the scream had come from, blasting zombies along the way. Meanwhile Ark and Barry had reached the door leading out of the storeroom. Ark caught a glimpse of some woman running past the door. He then heard her slip and fall. Then he saw a Hunter walk past the door, heading towards the girl.

"Shit." Ark ran out into the hall to see the woman lying on her back. She had her hands in front of her. The Hunter was standing over her. Its back heaved up and down as it breathed. It shrieked and reared up its claw. The girl let out a terrified scream, closing her eyes. Ark drew his .45 and pumped four rounds into the base of the Hunters brain. It jerked as it let out a squeal and fell dead at the woman's feet. "Not today bitch." Ark said.

"Leon, behind you." Ark turned to see Barry staring down the hall. Two more Hunters stood watching them. "Let's get rid of these two freaks."

The Hunters charged down the hall. Ark pulled out his Cougar while Barry readied his Colt. They both waited until the Hunters were ten feet away before firing. The bullets tore through the creatures, causing green blood to spout from the wounds. The two monsters withered on the ground before passing away. Ark and Barry turned to the woman. She looked up at Ark, seeing the blood on his shirt.

"Get away from me!" She squealed, trying to back away from him. "Don't hurt me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you, I'm one of the good guys. I saved your life." Ark held out his hand. "Come on, you're safe now."

The others came barreling out of the storeroom. Chris looked around. "What the hell happened here?" He then saw Ark crouched down in front of the woman. "Who are you?"

The woman saw the group, then the weapons in their hands. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed.

"Jesus Christ, she's hysterical. I'm not surprised if she's been running from these things all day." Jill said.

Chris nodded. "Jill, better go talk to her. Everyone else, check to see if there are any more of our rotting friends wandering around here."

Jill walked up to the woman. She looked into her terrified eyes. "Hi, I'm Jill." She said in a gentile voice, trying to calm the woman down. "Who are you?"

"El, Eliza. Eliza Walker."

"Well Eliza, we're here to help you. We came here to shut this place down. Why are you here?"

"I work here." Eliza replied. "I got transferred here around June. Hey, aren't you those terrorists? Are you going to kill me?"

"No we're not." Ark said. "I don't know what you were told, but Umbrella are the bad guys. They made those monsters, "He pointed to the dead Hunter, "And the virus that turned these people into zombies."

"I don't believe you. Umbrella cures diseases, they don't make them. Right now we're working on a cure for cancer. You people are just trying to stop us."

Chris joined the group. "Miss Walker, right? I hate to tell you this, but Umbrella has lied to everyone. I didn't believe Umbrella was making biological weapons until they killed my friends. Umbrella is using you, just like they used others. We are here to stop them."

Claire came walking up to her brother. "So far we don't see any zombies or any more Lickers or Hunters. Best bet is that they may be on the other levels. Chris, we didn't see any holding pens on the floor plans. These B.O.W.s must have been brought in, probably last night or early this morning. My bet is that the virus must have been released last night, judging from the state of those zombies. I think we should find a better place to talk. There are too many places where their friends can come out of." Claire nudged the dead Hunter with her foot.

Eliza was confused. "What do you mean by B.O.W.s? What are they?"

Jill looked at Eliza. "Bio Organic Weapons. This Hunter Ark must have killed is one of them. There are others, much more dangerous and harder to kill."

"Walker, is there a place we could go to talk." Chris nodded to the Hunter. "I don't feel like having one of these things interrupting us."

Eliza pointed down the hall. "There's a cafeteria down that way. I'm not sure if it's safe, but it's the best place I can think of."

"OK, wait a minute." Chris stood up. "Come on guys, we're moving. There's a place we can go to regroup. Let's move it."

Ark held out his hand again. "Come on, you can trust us." Eliza reluctantly took his hand. He pulled her up. He noticed she was shaking. "Here, wear this." He took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

When the others had gathered, they started to move. Eliza gave the group directions, telling them where to turn. Carlos and Leon took point, blasting several zombies that were in their way with their shotguns. As they past a hall, a Hunter rushed them. A well-placed grenade by Claire took it out. A Licker tried to sneak up from behind. A few rounds from Chris and Jill's MP5s dropped it. Another Licker burst from a room to the groups' left. Barry blew its head off with his Colt. After a while, the team reached the doors to the cafeteria.

Chris slinged the MP5 and pulled out his shotgun. He approached the doors, standing next to Leon. "Let's go." Both men kicked the doors open and stormed in. The other followed, filing in. What was waiting for them was not pleasant.

"Zombies, Lickers, and Hunters, oh my." Leon said.

The room was full of B.O.W.s. Some Hunters were helping themselves to food on the buffet table. Four Lickers were picking clean some bodies along the left-hand wall. Several zombies shuffled around, trying to find a meal. Some other Lickers were clinging to the right-hand wall and ceiling while other Hunters milled around. In chilling unison, all creatures' eyes turned on the S.T.A.R.S.

"Let's make this fast." Chris said. "Scatter."

Chris rushed at a group of Hunters. He fired into one, spending it flying into its companions. He then grabbed his MP5 and fired furiously at the creatures. Jill, meanwhile, began shooting the Lickers that had been feeding. She caught one in the head and another she nailed in the arm, wounding it. The remaining two advanced on her. She switched to her MP5 and began to fire. She hit one, dropping it. The other one got to her and prepared to swipe her leg. Barry blew its hand off with a well-placed shot. It screamed in pain before Jill silenced it with a rain of bullets to the head. Chris loaded shells into his shotgun and walked up to the wounded Licker that was trying to move. He leveled the shotgun and obliterated its head.

"Hey, save some for us." Claire said as she and Rebecca fired a few grenade rounds at the buffet table. The table exploded, impaling two Hunters with pieces of wood and sending another flying into the far wall. Its head cracked open from the impact.

"Take about a splitting headache." Leon joked as he blasted a Hunter that had survived the blast.

"Very funny. Oh!" Claire saw a dead security guard leaning against a table. He had a pair of Uzis in his hands. "You won't be needing these anymore." Claire grabbed the Uzis. The guard suddenly sprang back to life. "DIE!" Claire opened fire with the Uzis, decapitating the corpse. "Time to have some fun." She turned to some zombies and began to cut them down.

"Looks like you have a new toy too." Leon said, unloading a shell into another zombie, separating its torso from its legs.

"You got that right." Rebecca said. She fired a flame round at a small group of zombies, sending gore and flaming body parts flying everywhere.

Ark and Carlos had their hands full with the other Lickers. Ark turned to Eliza and handed her his magnum. "If anything comes at you, point and pull the trigger." Eliza shook her head yes and gripped the gun. Ark pulled out his .45 and his Glock. "Ready Carlos?"

"Let's kick some ass amigo." Carlos pumped his shotgun and advanced. 

The Lickers flicked out their tongues in a threatening fashion. One leaped at Carlos. He fired, sending the Licker backwards. It was dead before it hit the floor. Carlos then fired at one Licker that was clinging to the wall, not giving it a chance to attack. It fell; squirming as death took its life. One started across the wall. Ark aimed and put two .45 slugs into its brain. One more dropped down in front of him. He began firing simultaneously at the Licker as it crawled towards him. Bullets ripped through the body, tearing away decaying tissue and muscle. He continued until his pistols ran empty. The Licker was now twitching spasmodically. 

"Burn in hell." Ark ejected the used clips from his guns. He caught movement in the corner of his left eye. He turned to see a Hunter standing in front of his. Its left arm was missing; blow off when Claire and Rebecca had blown up the buffet table. Blood was pouring from the wound. It let out a low growl. Then, Ark saw the left side of its head explode and the headless body crumple to the ground. Ark looked back to see Eliza. She held the magnum in front of her, her hands still shaking. He smiled. "Thanks."

She managed a weak response. "You're welcome."

"Damn, are you sure you never fired a gun before?" Carlos eyed the Hunter, admiring Eliza's accuracy.

"I did what Ark said, point it at the monster and pull the trigger." Eliza said, lowering the weapon.

Chris had just finished ventilating the last zombie's skull with his Berretta. He looked around at the room. "Good work. Over here." He pointed to a table in the middle of the room. Everyone gathered around. "Kill count. How many of these things did we take out?"

"We killed eight Lickers here, plus I got one in the warehouse." Barry said, looking at the corpse.

"I killed another one in the warehouse too." Rebecca said.

"We got two more on the way here." Carlos added.

"That makes twelve. Claire, Rebecca and I got four Hunters." Leon said. "How about you guys?"

"Chris took out four, Ark, Claire, and I took out four in the hall. Eliza killed one more. That's thirteen of them. Who knows how many more could be around here."

Chris scanned the room. "These must have come here because they smelled the food. I'd expect more company soon. Barry, you, Carlos, and Leon check these bodies for ammo. Claire, you and Becky guard the doors. Blast anything that tries to come through. The rest of us will talk to Eliza; try to figure out when this happened. Hate to say this, but this has just turned into a rescue mission."

"Right." Claire walked to the door, taking up position. "This is too easy. Nicholai should have sent something harder to kill."

"Don't say that." Rebecca snapped. "With our luck, a big huge monster will come bursting through these doors."

While the girls were having their little talk, and the guys were collecting whatever ammo they could find, Ark brought Eliza over to Chris and Jill.

"How long has this been going on? We need to know." Chris said.

"First, who are you?" Eliza asked. "I won't answer any questions till I know."

"Very well. I'm Chris Redfield. This is my partner Jill Valentine. He's Ark Thompson." He pointed to his sister. "The girl over there is my sister, Claire. The girl next to her is Rebecca Chambers." He pointed to the other men. "The big guy with the red hair is Barry Burton. The Hispanic man is Carlos Olivera. The other guy is Leon Kennedy. Now that you know who we are, you can answer my question."

Eliza swallowed. "You're the people who are trying to destroy us." Her face changed into a scowl. "Why should I trust you?"

"Cause we're trying to stop Umbrella from making any more of these monsters." Jill said. "Now we have to know how long this place has been like this. We need to know if there are any more people alive."

"I don't know when this happened. I came into work this morning and there were monsters everywhere. I didn't think about when it happened, all I thought about was staying alive." Eliza was starting to shake again.

Ark looked at Chris. "That means that Umbrella must have released the virus during the night. These B.O.W.s must have been brought in early this morning. By that time most of these people were zombies." 

"So the Hunters and Lickers were hungry." Jill finished. "You're right Chris, these things did come here to get some food."

Chris scratched his head. "Nicholai must have had this all planned out. The sick thing is even if we do survive, we're going to blow this place up and destroy any evidence."

"Yeah, but that bastard didn't count on us finding someone alive." Jill looked at Eliza. "Her."

Ark tapped Eliza on the shoulder. "Tell us your story. How did you get involved with Umbrella?"

"Well, I graduated from collage when I was 20. I had a bachelor in Microbiology. I got hired by Umbrella soon after to conduct research on gene therapy. I was sent to a lab in Northern Pennsylvania. Our aim was to find out how to reverse damage done to cells by cancer. Around May I was transferred to this facility. I've been here ever since. But you know what, today was really weird."

"How so?" Ark asked.

"Today was supposed to be my day off. But my supervisor, Mr. Spindlier, told me to come in today. He didn't say why, only that it was important."

Chris had his head down. He was talking to himself, thinking about what Eliza just said. Jill put her hand on his back. "What's wrong? Was it something she said?"

Chris looked at her. "It's just that I have an idea where she might have been assigned. I also think that explains why she was told to report to work. I think Nicholai wanted to get rid of more than us. For some reason, he wants her dead."

"What could she possibly know or has seen to make her a target. It doesn't make any sense."

"Nothing has made sense over the past couple of months. Who knows what the hell Nicholai, Spencer, or even Wesker have planned? It seems to me the deeper we get into this, the more fucked up it gets. Like it or not, we're playing by their rules. All we have to do is try to figure out what those rules are."

Barry came over to the group. "We found all the ammo we could. It's not much, but it'll help. So, what did you find out?"

Jill shook her head. "All we found out was that the virus must have been spread around sometime last night. Aside from that, we learned nothing."

"All right people, here's what we're going to do." Chris got everyone's attention. "We'll split into pairs. We'll do a sweep of the top floor first. If you find anyone or get into any trouble whatsoever, return to the storeroom. When you're done with your section, rendezvous here." Chris pulled out a map of the top floor. Chris paired up with Jill. Claire and Leon paired up. Carlos chose Rebecca. Barry got Ark and Eliza. Chris gave everyone a section of floor to search. When all was settled, they set out.

The team got off the elevator and went their separate ways. Each pair searched the rooms. All they found were zombies or Hunters. Chris and Jill completed their sweep first.

"There's no reason to stay here anymore." Chris said. "The sooner we set the self-destruct system, the better."

Jill looked at him. "I just can't understand how Nicholai could do this. It's like Umbrella will do anything to kill us, even if that means turning other people into zombies."

"That's just one more reason to destroy that company. I can't imagine what Spencer plans to do. He's a psycho that has to be stopped. The only problem is that he has some group of elite soldiers after us, and he has God knows what going in a test tube. It's going to take all we got to survive this."

"If we survived all the things that we had to go through, we can live through this."

"I hope you're right Jill."

After a while, the others came back down. They gathered around the same table and reported on what they found.

"We found nobody." Carlos said. "This place is a graveyard. The only things we found were zombies and a Hunter."

"We killed two Hunters and a whole lot of zombies." Leon said.

"We found three Hunters." Barry said. "If you ask me, Eliza is the only survivor."

Chris looked at the group. "Jill and I got two Hunters ourselves. That makes eight. Combined with the Hunters on this level, that makes twenty-one. We'll make a sweep of this level just to make sure if there are any people alive. We then go to the warehouse and follow our original plan. Now let's see who goes where."

While the S.T.A.R.S. worked out their plan, a helicopter approached the plant. In the cockpit were Jeff and Nicholai. He turned to the others. "Get ready, we are almost there. Soon our enemies will be eliminated." He turned back and stared at the plant. 'Soon Umbrella's enemies will be dead.' He thought to himself. 'All of them.'

Author's Comments: TA DA! That's right! Eliza Walker is in this bitch. While other stories I've read have her in different roles, this is my version on who she is and how she acts. Basically she's just someone who got caught up in Umbrella's little war with the S.T.A.R.S. team. However, it seems that she isn't so innocent. Is Chris right? Does Nicholai want her dead? Her involvement in this will remain a mystery to be solved later. Now, however, Nicholai and his group have arrived. Could this mean trouble for the S.T.A.R.S.? Wait and see.

In the next chapter, the intensity picks up. Hunk's team encounters Chris' team in a series of brutal confrontations. But the question remains, will the doubts that Hunk's group have against Umbrella be an advantage that Chris and his crew can exploit? See for yourself in the cliffhanger of RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 7- Enter Death.


	7. Enter Death

Disclaimer: Resident Evil is a trademark of Capcom. This story is based on the game series. I get no money from this story so don't sue me. Besides, if you do, you won't get much money out of it.

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 7- Enter Death

Written by: Striker

The helicopter hovered over the roof looking for a place to land. Jeff looked down and saw something he didn't like. "Sir, three Hunters. We can't land until we get rid of them."

Hunk looked at Jess. "Man the gun. Eradicate those things."

Jess got behind the .50 cal. chain gun fixed to the side of the copter. He opened fire, shredding the Hunter instantly. "All gone." He said.

Hunk turned back to Jeff. "Land this copter now."

The helicopter set down next to another copter. The team filed out and lined up. They were dressed in combat fatigues with their names above their right breast. Nicholai paced in front of them, giving them their orders. "You are to descend to the first floor. Search out the enemy and neutralize them. Use whatever force necessary to complete your mission. Now move out."

Jess handed out the weapons. Everyone got a SIGPRO SP20009 pistol and a M4A1 assault rifle. These were standard weapons for the U.B.C.S. Nicholai had picked these because he knew how reliable the guns were. Everyone also received several clips and magazines for their weapons. They each had Bowie knifes that they each strapped to either their leg or belt. Finally, they each got a walkie-talkie so they could be in constant contact.

Rick got his equipment and turned back to Nicholai had been standing. "Sir, where… What the hell? Where did he go?"

Hunk heard Rick and looked around the roof. Nicholai was nowhere in sight. Jeff came up to him.

"Why would Nicholai disappear like that? That's just too strange for me."

"I don't know, but I'm glad he's gone." Hunk turned to the others. "Listen up. Nicholai told us to kill these people. Well I'm doing this my way. I want you to bring those people to me alive. We need to find out how many people they have. Chances are that only half of this group is here. If that is the case, we need to find out where their base is. Dead men tell no tales, so only shot to injure, not to kill. If they fire at you, only kill them if absolutely necessary. I'll go with Ada. Jeff, you're paired with Jess. Max, you go with Kelly. That leaves Janet and Rick."

"Hell no." Janet snapped. "I'd rather have a zombie as a partner. There's no way in hell I will work with that man."

"I agree." Rick said. "I don't want that woman as a partner. She'll end up shooting me."

"Tough." Ark said. "You two will work together or you can stay up here and watch the copter. Now I don't want to hear anymore complaints from either of you, understand."

"Yes sir." They said at the same time.

"Move out. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can start looking for Nicholai."

Hunk's team moved to the elevator. "Here we go." Ada said as Hunk pushed the button for the ground floor.

Chris opened the door just a crack. He nodded to Jill, who had her Berretta drawn. He shoved the door open and stormed in. He and Jill found two zombies, which they killed with a few headshots.

"Damn, I hope the others are having more luck than we are." Jill said.

"This is the sixth room we searched." Chris threw up his arms. "Why are we wasting our time? I'll bet you anything that anyone who was alive is now a zombie. We were lucky to come upon Eliza."

"Let's just continue on." Jill placed her hand on his shoulder. "We may find some survivors. We can't give up that easily."

"You're right. Let's go." The two left the room. Chris looked down the hall and stopped. He saw a man and woman standing about thirty feet from him. "Hey Jill, I think we found some survivors."

Jill looked at the people. "I know I've seen that type of outfit they're wearing somewhere before." Then she remembered. "Those are the same uniforms that the U.B.C.S. wears. Those are bad guys!"

Chris took a closer look and saw the guns. "No shit." Chris aimed his MP5 at the two soldiers. Jill followed suite.

"Christopher Redfield, Jill Valentine, drop your weapons and get down on the ground." The man said.

"How do you know our names?" Chris asked.

"Simple, I was shown pictures of you. I know all about group. Don't resist. I intend one bringing you in alive."

Jill glared at him. "I thought you would have orders to shoot us on sight."

"We do." The woman said. "But we don't work that way."

"Fine." Chris dropped his MP5. "But you'll have to knock me out first."

The man discarded his rifle as well. "I hope you fight as well as you talk." He motioned to the woman, who dropped her rifle. The two began to advance.

"Ready Jill?"

"Ready." Jill put down her MP5 and followed Chris.

The two couples met halfway. Chris eyed his opposition. "Since you know who I am, why don't you tell me yours? I want to know whose ass I'm going to kick."

"My name is Hunk, but you can call me Death. Her name is Agent #407."

"But you can call me Ada." Ada finished.

"So you're Umbrella's best agents." Chris said. "I'm not impressed."

"You should be." Hunk threw a left jab that Chris dodged. Chris returned with a left hook that Hunk easily blocked. "You'll have to do better than that."  
  
Chris smiled. "I'm just warming up." Suddenly he dropped to one knee and nailed Hunk with a right jab to the inside of his right leg. Hunk yelled and grabbed his leg, pain shooting through it. Chris then came up with an uppercut, sending Hunk staggering backwards. "Like I said, I'm not impressed."

Hunk held his jaw. "You were lucky. Consider that a free shot."

Jill watched the exchange, a smile on her face. Ada took the opportunity and blaster her in the face with a right hook. "Never take your eyes off of your opponent." Ada said mockingly. 

Jill gave her a fierce look. "You'll pay for that." She sneered.

"Oh, try me." Ada came out swinging. Jill blocked them all, just like she was taught to do in the Deltas. Ada shot forward with a right jab. Jill sidestepped to the left and gave Ada a blow to the kidneys. Ada gritted her teeth as she grabbed her waist. Jill wasted no time. She swept Ada's right foot while clothes lining her at the same time. Ada was sent crashing to the floor.

"Word to the wise, don't mess with a Delta. You loose every time." Jill said.

"ADA!" Hunk turned to Chris. "Time to take you out." He feinted a left punch, and caught Chris off-guard with right to the gut. He then followed up with a left jab and right cross to Chris' face. Hunk then finished with a left shot to Chris' lower right ribs. Chris let out a yelp and almost doubled over. Hunk smiled and began to deliver a spin kick. Chris saw it coming and ducked, performing a sweep. Hunk felt his foot lift off the ground before crashing hard to the tiled floor. He moaned, rolling around in pain.

"Come on Jill, get back to the storeroom. We'll wait for the others."

They grabbed their weapons and left, leaving Ada and Hunk lying on the ground. Jill turned to Chris. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?"

Chris laughed. "It's amazing how much you can learn just wandering around the country."

"Do you have any other hidden talents?"

"You'll just have to find out. I just hope the others did as good as we did. The last thing we need is to have one of us get caught."

"This is going nowhere fast. All we've found are zombies. Why don't we go back?" Leon said, following Claire.

"Cause it's our job. Now no more complaining from you, Leon Scott Kennedy."

Leon hated it when people called him by his full name. It reminded him of his days at the Academy. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't do that."

Claire stopped and spun around. "What's the matter with your middle name?"

"It's just that you sound like a teacher I had in Elementary school. She used to call me that all the time. I believe she was 65."

"Ha, ha. I am hurt that you would compare me to a little old lady. I am a very attractive girl. I can't begin to count how many boys asked me out on dates at collage. It must have been…"

"I get your point." Leon thought of something. "Come to think of it, I don't know your middle name. What is it?"

"Oh no Leon. That's a secrete. Only one other person knows my name and that's Chris. I made him swear never to tell anyone."

"You can tell me. I'll keep it a secrete too. Tell me."

"Marie."

"Claire Marie Redfield. What's so wrong with that? That's a pretty name."

"You think?"

Just then, Max and Kelly came around a corner and spotted them. Max raised his rifle. "DON'T MOVE. DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND TURN AROUND. IF YOU RISIST, WE WILL SHOOT!"

Leon holstered his shotgun and dropped his MP5. "Do what he says Claire. Trust me."

Claire nodded and set down her Uzis, rifle, and grenade launcher. Max and Kelly cautiously approached. Max set down his M4A1 and turned Leon around. Kelly did the same with Claire.

"As long as you don't pull anything, no one will get hurt." Max said.

Leon looked at Claire and winked. "You mean like this?" Leon shot up his right elbow, slamming it into the side of Max's head. Claire rammed her left elbow into Kelly's abdomen. Both staggered backwards. Leon stared into Max's eyes. "You're not taking me in without a fight."

Max straightened up. "Suite yourself." He assumed a fighting stance. Leon threw a punch that he blocked. He then spun and plowed his elbow right into Leon's side. He followed with a knife-edge chop to the back of the head. Leon stumbled forward, his vision blurred.

'Shit, this guy must know martial arts. I have to be careful.' Leon rubbed the back of his head and turned to Max.

"Had enough?"

"Not yet." Leon replied.

By this time, Kelly had regained her breath. "Your turn lady." She said. Claire's was contorted in anger. She threw a right jab that Kelly dodged. She then rammed her right knee into Claire' midsection. Claire doubled over, cursing to herself. Meanwhile, Max came at Leon with a right cross. Leon grabbed his arm and used Max's own momentum to throw him over his shoulder. Max hit the ground with a thud. He slowly got up, holding his back.

"You're going to pay dearly for that." Max growled. Leon could see that Max was getting pissed. That could be an advantage. 

Kelly saw Max get thrown. She was so worried about her boyfriend that she didn't see Claire get back up. "Hey lady." Claire said, getting Kelly's attention. "One of my friends says you have a pretty face. Too bad I have to mess it up." Without warning, Claire decked Kelly right in the right eye. Kelly howled in pain as she fell down.

"KELLY!" Max yelled as he saw his girlfriend go down. Leon saw this and nailed Max in the stomach.

"Maybe you should be more concerned about yourself." Leon grabbed Max by the collar. "Cause you're going down just like her." Leon reared back gave Max a head butt. Max crumpled to the floor while Leon grabbed his head. "OW!"

"Good one Einstein." Claire said. "Why don't you go ahead and knock yourself out."

Leon looked at her. "Hey, it works in the movies." Leon and Claire grabbed their weapons and left.

Max crawled over to Kelly. "You OK?"

"Yeah." She said. "Sorry."

"Don't worry, we'll get them later. Let's go meet up with Hunk."

Together, they got up and headed back for the elevator.

Carlos leaned against the wall. He was waiting for Rebecca, who had to make an unexpected bathroom break. "Well, at least this place isn't getting ready to explode." He said to himself. 

At the same time, Janet was waiting outside the men's restroom for Rick. "I had to get stuck with him. We should be searching for those terrorists, and he has to take a leak." Just then, Rick came out of the restroom, zipping up his pants. She looked at him in disgust. "Tell me you washed your hands."

"No, but I wiped them with a paper towel." Janet was appalled. "Hey, we don't know how these guys infected this plant. Besides, I'm not going to touch you, I don't want to catch your bitch virus."

"Let's just keep on searching." Janet felt like leveling Rick. He could be such an asshole. They moved on, not saying anything to each other.

"That felt good. If I had to hold that in any longer, I might of burst." Rebecca came out of the bathroom, a relieved look on her face.

"That's too much info Becky." Carlos said. "Let's go…" He was stopped when he saw Janet and Rick come around the corner. He recognized the uniforms. "Shit." He went for his MP5, but was stopped by Janet's voice.

"Don't even think about it." Janet had her rifle aimed at him. "Stay right there." She and Rick quickly approached. Her face lit up when she recognized Carlos. "Carlos Olivera. You can't imagine how much I'm going to enjoy this." She tossed her rifle down. "Rick, handle the girl."

Rick looked at Rebecca, then back to Janet. "Why do I get the girl? Why the hell can't I get him?"

Janet glared at him. "Cause I want to bring this traitor in."

"Fine." He turned to Rebecca. "All right kid, don't make this…" Rebecca kicked him in the groin before he could finish. "DAMMIT, SHE KICKED ME IN THE NUTS!" He screamed, holding his groin. "Oh that's it." He tried to grab her, but she then stomped on his left foot. "OW, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" 

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?" Rebecca blasted him with a left cross to the face. 

Rick dropped to his knees and held his head. "Damn that hurt. I'm not cut out for this shit."

"Weak bastard." Janet muttered. "You won't find me as easy to beat as him traitor."

"I'm not a traitor." Carlos said. "I joined the good guys."

Janet and Carlos began to fight. They blocked or dodged each other's punches. Janet was aggressive, not backing off at all. She finally tagged Carlos with a right body blow. 'Time to end this.' He thought. He stomped down on her right foot, making it impossible for her to move it.

"What the..?" Janet didn't have time to finish. Carlos nailed her with a right hook to the face. He then kicked her in the stomach. Janet hunched over, letting out a growl. Carlos grabbed her head and brought his right knee up into her face. She was sent crashing backwards, landing on her rear. She felt her face. She then pulled her hand back and saw blood. "You bastard," She said weakly, "You broke my nose."

"You're lucky that's all I broke. Come on Becky." Carlos grabbed his MP5. Rebecca nodded and grabbed her grenade launcher. Together they left.

Rick looked over at Janet. "Hunk is going to be pissed."

Janet just rolled her eyes and tried to stop her nose from bleeding.

Barry scanned the lab. "Nothing. At least we only have one more hall to go. Let's make this fast."

Ark looked down the hall. "You really think we're going to find anybody. I say we just blow this joint and get out of here."

"First we finish our sweep." Barry said. "Then we can level this graveyard. Besides, there are only two more rooms in this hall."

"I wouldn't bother with them." Eliza said.

"And why not?" Ark asked.

She looked at both men. "Because I was already through here. In fact, I've been through most of this floor. I saw no one else alive."  
  


Barry couldn't believe what he heard. "Why didn't you say anything earlier? You could have saved us all this time. We could have blown this place and be out of here by now."

Ark tried to calm Barry down. "Take it easy. We should have asked her. Let's just go back to the others."

"Well, at least things can't get any worse." Barry looked down the hall, only to see Jeff and Jess round the corner. "Maybe I spoke too soon."

Jeff saw Barry's group. "Stop right there." He then saw them duck into a lab. "God, why don't they ever listen? I hate it when they run." He and Jess ran to the lab. They burst through the door to see nothing.

Jess turned to Jeff. "Where the hell did they go?"

"Right here." Jess turned around to see Barry standing beside the door. "Hi." Barry hit Jess in the gut, then in the face.

Jess took both shots. "You must be Barry. They say you're strong, now let's see if they're right." He punched Barry in the face.

"That was a good one, but you'll have to do better." Barry tackled Jess, both crashing into one of the tables.

Meanwhile, Ark and Jeff eyed each other. Ark spoke first. "You must be Jeff. Tell me, why would Umbrella keep your leader's file under tight security but leave yours easily assessable?"

"Tell me this," Jeff replied, "One, why would you purposely release the T-virus on this plant? And two, what do you mean about our files?"

"I hacked into Umbrella's computers. I had an easy time finding out who you were. Plus, we didn't release the virus. Nicholai must have had the virus released last night to make a trap for us."

"That's nonsense. Nicholai told us that you had a spy, Eliza Walker, spread the virus."

"I did no such thing." Eliza said. "This place was already infected when I got here this morning. I didn't even know this T-virus existed."

"I don't believe you." Jeff swung at Ark. Ark dodged and grabbed Jeff jacket. He threw him over one of the tables. Jeff slid over the table and fell to the floor. Test tubes and other instruments hit the floor with him. 

Ark walked around the table. "Maybe you should. Umbrella has a habit of lying to people."

Jeff sprang forward and grabbed Ark's shirt. "How do I know you're not lying?" Jeff catapulted Ark over him. Ark hit hard. Letting out a groan, he rolled over and began to stand up. He looked up just in time to see Jeff dive at him. Jeff tackled Ark, both men sliding over the floor.

On the other side of the room, Barry and Jess were locked in a grapple. Jess saw a chemical cupboard set against the wall. He slammed Barry into on side, shattering the glass. Barry responded by slamming Jess into the other side. They then continued to struggle. "You can't win Barry. I will never give up." He shoved Barry off of him and threw a right cross. Barry got hit in the jaw. He dropped to one knee. While holding his mouth with his left hand, his right hand slowly wrapped around his Colt. Jess bent down. "What's the matter does that hurt?"

"Not as much as this will." Barry brought the handle of his Colt into Jess' right temple. He then stood up and brought his left elbow into Jess' back, sending him to the ground. "God I love my magnum." Barry looked over to Ark and Jeff. "Shit."

Jeff was on top of Ark, choking him. "I'm going to bring you in, even if I have to drag your unconscious ass behind me." Ark tried to push Jeff off, but Jeff had more leverage. He then remembered something he learned at the Academy. He grabbed Jeff's wrists and drove his fingers into them. Jeff clenched his teeth, trying to ignore the pain. Jeff then brought up his left knee and dropped it on Ark's groin. Ark let go, almost paralyzed. Suddenly Eliza rushed up behind Jeff and cracked him in the left side of his head with a broom. Jeff's body went limp. 

Ark pushed Jeff off of him. "Thanks Eliza, that's two I owe you."

"You alright?" Barry came running up to them.

"I'm fine. Let's go." Ark stood up and left, followed by Berry and Eliza.

Jess waited until Barry's group left before going over to Jeff. "Hey buddy, you OK?" He said, still holding his back.

Jeff slowly got up. "Yeah." He stood up and looked in one of the mirrors fixed to the wall. He saw a small cut that was starting to bleed. "Damn. We better get back to Hunk. He was wrong, they knew we were coming." Jeff and Jess left the lab and headed for the rendezvous point.

Chris was still holding his ribs when Ark, Barry, and Eliza arrived. He looked around at his team. "I take it you all had a run-in with Nicholai's little group."

Carlos leaned against a wall. "Nicholai must have had this all planned out. First the zombies, then the B.O.W.s, and now these troops. He's determined to kill us."

"That's not the bad part." Ark said. "He has them believing that we had Eliza released the virus."

"Also, these guys are well trained." Leon added. "The one I fought knew martial arts. I was lucky I was able to beat him."

Chris looked towards the warehouse door. "There's one thing though, I think Hunk is doing this his own way. Nicholai gave Hunk orders to kill us, but instead he wants to capture us alive. This may be an advantage we can use."

"Now what's going through that head of yours?" Claire asked.

"Just that there may be more to this than we can see. Remember, nothing is what it seems. With Umbrella, you can never be to certain. How did the search go?"

"Just that we wasted our time." Barry pointed to Eliza. "She told us that she's been over this whole floor already, and she didn't find any living people."

"Look at it this way, at least we know Nicholai and his party are here." Jill said.

Chris looked at Jill. "All the more reason to complete this mission. If we're lucky, we can take out Nicholai in the process. Let's go."

The S.T.A.R.S. team quickly headed for the warehouse elevator.

Hunk was waiting with Ada, still feeling his injures from his fight with Chris. "Where are the others? If Chris and Jill are that well trained, then the other survivors must be the same way. I knew this wouldn't be easy."

"Here comes Max and Kelly now." Ada pointed to them as they walked up.

"You were right Hunk, these guys are tough. They beat both of us." Max said.

"Don't feel so bad, we got beat ourselves." Ada replied.

Janet and Rick arrived next. They were arguing like usual, with Janet still holding her nose.

"What happened to you?" Kelly asked.

"I got my nose broken by Oliveria," Janet said. "And he got his ass kicked by that teenager."

"She kicked me right in the balls." Rick shot back. "Besides, I'm use to working with computers, not fighting people."

Jeff and Jess came running up. "I have some bad news Hunk, they knew we were coming. The man I fought hacked into Umbrella's system and found out all about us. The strange thing was he said that your file and Ada's were both secure, but ours weren't."

Hunk was confused. "That makes no sense. Your files should have been with mine. I don't get it, Nicholai would have told us if they knew."

"There's on more thing," Jeff continued, "He also said that they didn't release the virus. Walker said herself that the people here were zombies when she got here this morning."

"I don't like this." Max said. "This is fucked up."

"Still, we have to stop them. Chris told his partner to head for the warehouse. They may be trying to reach the self-destruct switch. The elevator for B2 is in B1. I know where we can head them off. Let's go." Hunk led his team to the elevator.

"What do you mean the power has already been shut off?" Leon stood in the power room with Rebecca and Ark.

"Someone already shut it off." Rebecca said. "See for yourself."

"I bet I can tell you who did it." Ark said.

"Nicholai." Leon left the room. "Chris, someone was here already. They turned off everything we were going to."

"Nicholai must of come down here while we were dealing with his troops. Let's go and be careful." Chris waited for Rebecca and Ark before he moved his team out. They followed the route Claire had picked.

"Notice something?" Jill pointed to two zombies lying on the floor. "Someone's been through here."

"Why do I have a feeling that this mission was going downhill from the start?" Chris muttered. The group came to the chemical storage room. It had large canisters stacked on huge racks. The racks in turn formed isles that made a T-intersection, with an isle going off to the left. On the right side of the room was what appeared to be a crane room, with a metal stairway winding up to a short, steel platform leading to it. "Almost there." The group quickly began across the room.

"Stop where you are. This is as far as you go." Hunk's group came out from the isle, cutting off Chris' team in front of the platform. "Now drop your weapons." Hunk's group was in a cluster. Hunk, Ada, and Jeff were in front. Ada was between the men, with Hunk to her left and Jeff to her right. Jess was behind and right of Jeff. Janet was behind and to the left of Hunk. Max and Kelly were in the middle. Rick was in the back.

"No chance in hell, Hunk." Chris' group was also in a cluster. Chris, Jill, and Leon were in front, with Jill to Chris' right and Leon to Chris' left. Barry was behind Chris and Claire was behind Leon. Claire had her Uzis aimed at Jeff and Ada. Carlos was behind Jill. Rebecca was in the rear with Ark, who had put Eliza behind him.

Leon scanned his enemies. Suddenly he saw something that almost made him drop his shotgun. "Ada, how? I saw you die in Raccoon? You're dead."

Ada lowered her gaze. Hunk looked at Ada, then at Leon. Claire was shocked. From what she heard, Ada had died. Everyone else was confused.

"Don't you just love seeing old friends reuniting? Kind of warms your heart, doesn't it." Everyone turned to see Nicholai standing on the platform, watching the scene like a vulture. "Quite a situation you're in. Don't make any rash moves, they could be fatal."

Jill's face turned red. "You bastard." She pointed her MP5 at Nicholai. Carlos did the same, seething with rage.

"Good to see you too. I was hoping when we would meet again."

"Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Carlos spat.

"Cause if you shoot, the others will shoot and you'll all die." Nicholai smiled. "So close, yet so far."

"He's right Chris." Barry whispered to Chris. "All we need is one spark and this whole thing will blow up in our face."

Chris shut his eyes. Whatever he was going to do, it had to be good, or his team was dead.

Author's Comments: CLIFFHANGER!!!!! What a chapter. Four bone-crunching fights and a deadly standoff. Who could ask for more? Oh yeah, Leon finding out that Ada is alive. That's going to complicate things. Also, Chris seems to have that funny feeling that not everything is normal. Too much has happened for this to be called nothing but coincidence. And remember, there is no such thing as coincidence. We're approaching the pivotal chapter of Part III. In Part I it was chapter 7. In Part II it was chapter 8. Now, what happens in chapters 8 and 9 will have another major impact on the plot. By the way, if you're asking yourself why I didn't do shootouts between Chris' and Hunk's teams, it's simple. One, Hunk ordered his men to take the S.T.A.R.S. team alive. Shooting them would kind of defeat the purpose. And two, it was more action-packed. I'm a sucker for hand-to-hand combat scenes like those in John Woo films. Anyway, time to move on.

The cliffhanger will be resolved in the next chapter. What is Nicholai's plan, and how will it affect the fate of BOTH groups. How will Chris get out of this mess, and will Hunk's troubled thoughts play into it? A choice will be made that will surprise all. It will also setup another thrilling cliffhanger that will leave you wanting to read more. It all happens in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 8- Double-cross.


	8. Double Cross

Disclaimer: Resident Evil is rightful property of Capcom. This story is mine. I make no money from this story. I wrote this story for fans of Resident Evil as well as for my own amusement. Anyone from Capcom don't sue me, cause I'm broke. HA!

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 8- Double Cross

Written by: Striker

The two groups faced each other while Nicholai watched from his perch. Chris looked at both his team and Hunk's. He could see that most of them were nervous from the way their guns shook in their hands. This was a bad situation that could only get worse.

"What are we going to do Chris?" Claire asked. He could sense the anxiety in her voice.

"I'm thinking." Chris started to analyze the situation, his mind racing to find an answer. 'This isn't good. If one of us shoots, then we all shoot. If we give up, we'll get captured and die for sure. At least if we give up, we have a chance of escaping. But everyone won't like that they'll hate it. They're all depending on me to get them out of this, but I don't know what to do. We're dead no matter what we choose.' Chris shut his eyes and made up his mind. 'I just hope they forgive me.'

"Well, what are we going to do?" Claire asked again.

Chris opened his eyes. "The only thing we can do." He looked at Hunk. "We give up."

There were mixed reactions from both sides. From Hunk's side, there were sighs of relief. From Chris' side, there was shock.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Barry whispered. "Have you lost it?"

Chris lowered his gun and turned to Barry. "No. Listen; if one side starts to fire, we all die. At least if we're captured we can escape and survive. You guys made me leader cause you trust me. I'm asking you to trust me now. This is the only way I see of getting out of this. Now lower your weapons."

Everyone complied, though some more reluctantly than other.

Hunk was pleased that Chris chose to back down. That way he didn't have to loose any of his men. "Drop all your weapons. I'll give you credit Redfield; you know when to back down. If I was in your position I would have done the same thing."

Chris team followed Hunk's orders. They dropped their weapons and stood waiting. Nicholai had a big grin on his face. This was going better than he thought it would.

"Now Hunk, now that these pathetic fools have surrendered, here is my next order." He looked at Chris. "Shoot them."

"Oh great." Jill said. "Did you think of this when you made your decision?"

"For all it's worth, sorry." Chris felt so stupid. He should have seen this coming. Now he looked at Hunk, who looked just as shocked.

Hunk looked at Nicholai. "Sir, they just surrendered. We can't shoot them. They're unarmed."

"Follow your orders Hunk." Nicholai growled. "Execute them."

Hunk looked back at Chris. He then turned to his to his team. They didn't know what to do either. Hunk's attention switched to Ada. She looked like she didn't want to do it. Hunk took a deep breath and spoke. "No."

"No?" Nicholai asked. "You dare to disobey my direct order? Tell me why."

"Because I'm not a murderer." Hunk said. "They already gave up. They threw down their weapons. Killing them would go against the rules of war. If we killed them, we'd be criminals ourselves. Guys, lower your weapons."

Nicholai was fuming. "Ada, Skinner, detain Hunk. The rest of you, follow my orders. Kill the enemies."

Jeff lowered his rifle. "No sir. Our loyalty is to Hunk. We gave our word that we would follow him. I won't kill an unarmed man." The rest followed, standing behind Hunk.

Nicholai glared at Hunk's team. Then he started to laugh. This stunned everyone. "Congratulation Hunk, you helped to prove my suspicions. And don't act surprised, I heard you at the base before we left. In fact, ever since Raccoon City you have lost your dedication. Now I know where you stand."

Chris couldn't help but smile. "Bravo Nicholai. Just when I though Umbrella's henchmen couldn't go any lower, you manage to do just that."

"Go on Redfield. You have my attention." Nicholai was interested in what Chris had to say.

"This was all one big setup. Sabotaging our helicopter, having the T-virus spread throughout this plant, the B.O.W.s, getting Eliza here, knowing that Hunk would cut us off here, you planned this whole thing out. I had a feeling that Eliza getting called into work on her day off wasn't a coincidence. I also think you expected Hunk not to shoot us. You turned this whole place into a deathtrap just so you could get us all in one strike. You played both sides, not intending for any of us to leave. You used Hunk's men like you used the U.B.C.S. Brilliant Nicholai, you really outdid yourself."

Nicholai nodded. "You are to smart for your own good. I can see what you are so dangerous. I see that I can't fool you, so I'll tell you everything. I did request that the T-virus be released. I did order the B.O.W.s brought here. I did make it so Miss Walker would be present. I did expect Hunk to disobey me. And even if he did, his team would unfortunately parish in a heroic battle against Umbrella's enemies. I, of coarse, would survive. The building would remain intact, and the virus would spread to the surrounding areas. That would be blamed on Redfield's little group. They would be forever known for causing death, the exact opposite of what they are trying to do."

Hunk raised his rifle at Nicholai. He could barely contain his rage. "Why?"

"Because you all have something in common. You all know about our little secrete, as well as the fact that most of you know about our labs in Raccoon and what really happened. Redfield's group was part of the Raccoon City incident in one way or another. Mr. Thompson was involved with Sheena Island and knew too much. As for you Hunk, you and Ada were also involved. Your team's fate was sealed when you told them what happened. Since you have turned traitor you pose a threat to Umbrella. We can't have people running around and telling the public the truth. It would not be good for Umbrella's image. As for Miss Walker, her first assignment happened to be the Spencer Mansion." 

Eliza hung her head, ashamed that she was part of creating the T-virus. "I didn't know."

Nicholai laughed again. "As you can see, you are more connected that you ever thought. Now that you are ALL enemies of Umbrella, you must be terminated."

Chris pulled his Berretta. "And how are you going to do that?"

"I'm not, they are." Nicholai looked down the isle that Hunk's team had came from.

"They?" Rick asked. "Whom is he talking about?"

Suddenly, a low, harsh voice echoed throughout the room. "S.T.A.R.S."

Max looked around. "What the hell was that?"

"That." Jeff pointed down the isle.

There stood two creatures. Both were ten feet tall. The one on the left was clad in a black, leather trench coat. It clenched its fists, causing the fingerless gloves it wore to squeal. The frightening thing about it was its face. It was bald, with grayish colored skin. Its eyes were pure white and its lips were pulled back, showing off its yellowish teeth and gums. The one on the right was naked. It had pinkish skin. Its muscles were huge, almost bulging. Its face was similar to the other one's. The only difference was its lips didn't seem to be pulled back as far. The most terrifying were its hands. Both ended in six-foot claws that looked like massive swords. It let out a mighty roar. Both creatures stood there, their bodies heaving as they breathed.

"I believe that Miss Valentine knows one, and Ada knows the other." Nicholai had a sick grin on his face. "You could say they were both close to those creatures."

Chris looked at Jill. She was frozen, shaking as she stared at the monsters. He shot Nicholai a dirty look. "You are a piece of work. You're too much of a coward to do this yourself."

"I'll take that as your last words." Nicholai walked towards the crane room. "Good luck surviving."

Chris watched Nicholai leave. His attention then turned back to the monsters. "This is bad. We had a hell of a time killing one of these things. How are we going to get rid of two?"

"I don't know." Barry said. "But I suggest we come up with a plan and come up with one soon."

"What in God's name are those things?" Kelly shouted.

"Tyrants." Chris replied. "Umbrella's ultimate killing machines. Genetically enhanced human bodies infected with the T-virus. Anything less then a rocket launcher and you're wasting your time. One with the claws is a Finished Tyrant. The one in the trench coat is a Nemesis."

"What do we do?" Jeff asked.

"I've faced two in Raccoon." Hunk said. "I suggest we run. Either that, or we're dead."

The Finished Tyrant let out one final roar before both Tyrants began towards their prey. The S.T.A.R.S. began to quickly pick up their weapons while Hunk's group began to fire at the monsters. The Tyrants seemed unaffected by the rounds as they walked methodically towards both teams.

"CLAIRE, SLOW EM DOWN!" Chris yelled over the gunfire.

Claire grabbed the hunting rifle. She aimed for one of the racks. She spotted a release handle and fired. The handle flipped, sending canisters raining down on the Tyrants. One canister crashed into the Finished Tyrants head. It fell into the Nemesis causing both to fall to the ground.

"Come on. That should slow them down for a while." Chris motioned for everyone to move.

"I saw a floor plan." Hunk said. "We should head for the warehouse. We'll have more room to maneuver there than in the halls."

"Good idea." Barry said. "We may even find someway to crush those bastards."

"S.T.A.R.S." 

Max looked over his shoulder. "Don't tell me those things are up already. This is too much."

"Believe me amigo, that Nemesis can take a lot of abuse." Carlos said. "I've seen one get blown out the back of a cable car by a grenade and come back for more."

"Chris is right." Ada added. "Unless we have a rocket launcher, we can't kill them."

Jess turned to Ada. "Just remember, necessity is the mother of all invention. We'll find a way."

The group made their way to the warehouse. "Spread out. We don't want to make ourselves easy targets." Chris ordered. Everyone moved to different corners of the large room, taking shelter behind the various crates filling the room.

Claire huddled next to Leon, who was staring over at Ada. "You OK?"

Leon turned to Claire. "Considering that I just found out that someone who I thought was dead is really alive, I'm just fine."

"You still care about her?"

"A little, I guess. But not as much as I care about you."

Meanwhile, Hunk and Ada were having a similar discussion. "So, is he the guy you met in Raccoon?" Hunk asked.

"Yes." Ada replied. "I thought I'd never have to see him again."

"Did you really fall in love with him?"

"At first no. After a while I started to. He took a bullet for me and saved me from that Tyrant."

"Well, did you tell him you loved him?"

"I thought I was dying. When you think you're a goner, you say things you never thought you would say. That's in the past now, all I'm concerned about is getting out of here."

Soon, the sounds of heavy footsteps fill the air. The two monstrous forms of the Tyrants filled the door. The Nemesis let out a low growl. "S.T.A.R.S." The Finished Tyrant responded with a roar. Both beasts stepped into the warehouse, searching for their targets. The Finished Tyrant's claws scraped across the concrete floor. "S.T.A.R.S." The Nemesis said a second time. It was almost like it was calling its enemies out. Its head snapped to a sound to its right. It approached a set of crates that the noise had come from. "S.T.A.R.S."

"Right here." Chris sprang from behind the crate, shoving his shotgun into the Nemesis' chest. "See you in hell." Chris pulled the trigger. Buckshot erupted from both barrels and plowed into the Nemesis' sternum. The creature stumbled backwards. It then fixed its gaze on Chris, blackish blood oozing from its wounds. "Shit. Why do I have the feeling that I shouldn't have done that?"

"Lack of judgment." Barry rushed out from behind his crate and fired several magnum rounds into the Nemesis' back. The creature turned to him. "Damn, he didn't even flinch. This thing must have body armor built right on it."

"Stay here and don't move." Ark looked at Eliza. She nodded. Ark ran out and stood next to Barry. "So, how do we take this thing out?"

"Don't know Ark." Barry replied. "I didn't fight this type of Tyrant. The one I fought only had one claw."

Both men began to fire on the Nemesis as it stalked towards them. Jill ran out from behind a crate and started shooting the monster with her MP5. Chris followed her, sending a hail of bullets into the things right side.

"The only way I killed a Nemesis was with a rail gun." Jill said. 

"Great, only we don't have a rail gun." Janet ran out and began firing at the Nemesis from the left.

Rick joined her. "What the hell is a rail gun?"

"How should I know?" She snapped. "Just keep shooting."

Suddenly the Nemesis rushed Janet and Rick. Janet got out of the way, but the creature grabbed Rick by the throat. It hoisted him into the air. Janet got behind the Nemesis and pulled out her SIGPRO. She fired a few shots into its back. The Nemesis turned and threw Rick into Janet. Both were sent crashing to the ground.

"Nice catch." Rick moaned.

"Get off me." Janet pushed Rick off her and saw the Nemesis staring at her.

"S.T.A.R.S." It growled.

"Wrong team asshole." Jess ran up with Jeff, both blasting the Nemesis. While it was distracted, Chris and Barry pulled Janet and Rick from harm.

"Thanks." Rick said.

"Don't thank us yet." Barry replied. "That things still alive."

On the other side of the room, the others were having problems with the Finished Tyrant.

"SHIT!" Carlos rolled to the left as the Tyrant pounced on him. Its claw missed him, slicing through a crate. Carlos joined His friends. "That was close."

"You can say that again." Rebecca said as she and Claire launched a few flame rounds at the Tyrant. It shrieked as the napalm burned its skin.

"Got any ideas?" Kelly asked, firing at the Tyrant with her M4A1.

"Get a rocket launcher." Ada responded.

"Too bad we don't have one available. We could use one right about now." Max said. He and Leon were side by side firing at the Tyrant. The monster charged them. Max dodged to his right as the Tyrant brought its right claw down. It then swung its left claw at Leon. He ducked as it leveled a crate behind him. It was about to make another swipe when it was tagged in the back with a shotgun blast.

"I don't think so." Ada stood with Leon's Custom Western. "You're not killing anyone." Hunk ran up beside her with Carlos' shotgun. They both began firing. The Tyrant turned and roared. It then began to get hit from the left side by Claire. Claire continued to fire until her Uzis ran empty. She ejected the clips and slapped new ones in. Meanwhile, Carlos popped a new magazine into his MP5. He got beside Claire and together they fired on the Tyrant.

"We better make this quick." Carlos said. "We're running out of ammo."

"I know." Claire looked around the room. "There must be something we can use." She looked up towards the ceiling, seeing the solution to their problem.

Jill and Chris fired at the Nemesis. It had started to slow down, due to the amount of blood it was loosing. Chris' gun ran dry, as did Jill's. They began to change clips while Barry and Jess covered them. The Nemesis lunged forward, knocking Chris to the side and grabbing Jill by her throat with its right hand. Jill struggled to break free. She knew what was hidden in its right hand, the tentacle. Chris rushed the Nemesis, only to get knocked back. "S.T.A.R.S." It growled.

Jeff aimed at the monster. "Don't shoot," Ark said, "You'll hit Jill."

Jill gave Chris a pleading look. Chris reached behind his back and pulled out his knife. He nodded to Jill before running at the Nemesis again. He stopped short and tossed Jill the knife. She grabbed it and plunged it into the monster's left eye. It roared in pain and dropped Jill. Chris grabbed her and pulled her to safety. The Nemesis yanked the knife from its eye and threw it to the ground.

"FIRE!" Jeff, Jess, Janet, and Rick opened fire with their M4A1s. The Nemesis was pushed back into a set of crates. It fell backwards, smashing the crates into splinters.

"CHRIS, I HAVE AN IDEA!" Claire yelled.

Chris ran over to her. "What is it?"

Claire pointed to a set of crates suspended twenty-five feet above the floor by a crane. "If we can get those two Tyrants under those crates, I can shoot the rope holding them and crush those things."

"I like your idea, but there's one problem," Chris replied, "I've seen a Tyrant burst through concrete. That may not kill them, but it'll slow them down. Do it." He looked at the others. "WE HAVE A PLAN." He shouted. "I NEED SOMEONE TO ACT AS BAIT."

"I'll go." Kelly said. "I'm the fastest person in my team."

"I'll do it too." Rebecca said. "What do you want us to do?"

Chris pointed to the crates. "I need you two to stand under those crates and get the Tyrants to come to you. That shouldn't be a problem. As soon as they head for you, get the hell out of there."

"Alright." Kelly said. She and Rebecca ran over to the stop. They started to shout and wave their arms. The Nemesis rose from the ground and saw them. At the same time, the Finished Tyrant had heard the commotion and roared. Both began to go for the girls. Kelly and Rebecca bolted, the Tyrants in hot pursuit. Claire aimed at the rope. She waited until the creatures were almost under the crates before she fired. The bullet sliced through the rope. The weight of the crates caused the damaged rope to snap. The large boxes plummeted to the floor, landing on the Tyrants with a crunch.

"Let's go." Chris ordered his team to leave. Jill scoped up the MP5s and joined Chris. Hunk's team followed suite, leaving the warehouse. "We need to get to the elevators." Chris said.

"Follow us." Hunk led both groups towards the elevators. Ark took one last look inside. He saw the smashed crates erupt as the Tyrants began to dig themselves out of the rubble.

Ark ran up to Chris. "Those things just busted through those crates. I don't think it even hurt them."  
  
"Then let's pick up the pace." Chris broke into a run, the others joining him. They made it to the elevators that went to the roof.

"These will get us to the roof. If Nicholai hasn't stolen one, there should be two helicopters up there." Hunk looked down the hall they came from. "We better go now. We may not get a second chance."  
  
"No." Everyone turned to Chris. "We have to do what my team came here to do. We have to blow this plant."

"Why?" Ada asked. "We should escape. You know full well that we can't defeat those Tyrants without rocket launchers."

"We also can't let the T-virus escape from this place." Chris looked over everyone. "We can't let those Tyrants escape either. The only way to do that is to set the self-destruct mechanism in the basement and blow this place up."  
  


"Chris is right." Barry said. "We have to. Nicholai wants this building intact. He also wants us dead. I say we fuck up both of his plans at the same time."

"What do we do?" Jeff asked.

"First we sent half of us up to the roof. Those people will start up the helicopters and wait. The rest of us will go down and rig the place to blow." Chris pointed to all the women. "Ladies, I'm sending you up."  
  


"Why," Claire asked, "Why are you sending us up. You need our help."

"That's sexist." Janet hissed. "You think that we can't fight good enough."

"No, I'm sending you up cause I have an idea that's what half the guys here want." Chris looked at the ground. "It's the best way. At least we'll know that you're safe. Believe me If I flipped this around, I'd still split us up this way. We can't afford to let our personal relationships get in the way." Chris looked into Jill's eyes. "We can't let our personal feelings for each other rule our judgment."

Jill nodded. "I understand. You don't want what happened last time happen again."

"What happened?" Rick asked.

"Chris got knocked down by a Hunter." Barry answered. "Jill almost got herself killed helping him."

"Chris is right. We have to sent the women up." Hunk turned to Jeff. "Jeff, start up the copter and have it ready." Hunk pushed the call button for both elevators. The doors opened for one. Jeff, Ada, Kelly, and Janet stepped inside. "Ada, I will be up there soon."

"I know." Ada forced a smile. Max waved to Kelly, who was tying unsuccessfully not to cry.

"Good luck Rick." Janet said. "You won't have my ass to save you."

Rick smiled. "I didn't know you cared."

"I don't. I don't want to loose our electronics expert."

The doors closed and the elevator started up. Meanwhile, the other women were getting into the other elevator. Chris gave Jill some final instructions. "Start the helicopter, just like I showed you. It doesn't matter what kind the sequence is the same. If we're not up in forty-five minutes, take off without us."  
  


"What do you mean leave?" Jill said. "We can't leave you here."

"If we're not up there when the time runs out, we'll probably be dead." Chris turned to his sister. "I'll see you Claire, I promise."

Claire looked at him. "You better keep that one. I better see you too Leon."

"I'll be up there before you know it." Leon said.

"Here, you'll need these." Claire handed Leon her M203 and Uzis.

"Thanks." He said.

"Take care Carlos." Rebecca said.

"Don't worry senorita, I'll be back before you know it." Carlos replied.

"See you Eliza." Ark said. "I intend to get my jacket back."

Eliza smiled. "I'll keep it safe for you."

Jill stared at Chris. "You better come back."

"Don't worry, I will make it out of this alive. I promise." They continued to stare at each other as the door closed shut. "Is there another way to get to the elevator that goes to the basement?"

Hunk pointed down the hall in front of him. "We can take the same route my team used to cut yours off." 

Everyone heard the Tyrants roar come down the hall. Chris pulled himself from the elevator door and started down the hall. "Then let's finish this. I have a promise to keep."

Author's Comments: ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER!!!!! The surprises just keep coming. What an emotional scene. It really hit the heart, didn't it? Nicholai's plan was revealed in all its diabolical glory. That man is a true evil genus. It was so well laid out too. You couldn't ask for more perfection. He turned the plant into a morgue, presenting the S.T.A.R.S. with zombies and other B.O.W.s to deal with. He tied up a loose end with Eliza. He set up his own team who had suspicions about Umbrella, making sure that they wouldn't live long enough to turn against Umbrella. He did that by deploying a Finished Tyrant and a Nemesis. This man is brilliant. Brilliant in a sick and psychotic way. Only one problem, now Chris and Hunk's teams are working together. If they both survive this trap, Nicholai will have shot himself in the foot big time. Let's see what's next.

Split up, the two groups launch a desperate plan to destroy the plant, the Tyrants, and get out alive. Will their scheme work, or will this be their last stand. The struggle for survival continues in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 9- Gamble.


	9. Gamble

Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. I have written this story for my own amusement and the enjoyment of others without expecting to make a profit. Therefore, Capcom cannot bring any legal action against me. I hope.

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 9- Gamble

Written by: Striker

The men quickly made their way down the hall. Chris took a look at his watch. Forty-five minutes until Jill was to lift off. He knew his group had to be on the helipad before time ran out. He was taking a deadly risk. He had one shot; there was no room for error. This was one gamble he couldn't afford to loose. 

"We're coming up on the storage room." Hunk said. "Be careful, that asshole could still be here."

The team ran down the isle. Leon and Rick checked to see if the Tyrants had taken the other route.

"All clear." Leon said.

"S.T.A.R.S." followed by a roar came from behind the group.

"Looks like those bitches are right on our ass." Ark said.

Jess looked at him. "You know Ark, you have a way of stating the obvious."

"Save the yapping for later." Barry said.

"He's right," Chris added, "We don't have much time." He led the others down the hall, remembering from the map how far the elevators were. The team reached the elevator doors. Chris punched the call button for the left door. The door slid open and the men filed in. Chris hit the button for B2. "Going down." He muttered to himself.

The doors opened. Jill, Jeff and the others rushed towards the two helicopters. They were both Chinooks and both had .50 cal. chain guns fixed to the right side. Jill was leaved that Nicholai hadn't of stolen one. Jill pointed at the copter before her. "I got this one. Jeff, take the other."

Jeff nodded and leaped into the cockpit. "Alright baby, work for me." He started flipping switches. One by one the cockpit lit up. He checked the fuel and oil. Both were good. The rotor slowly began to rotate. "Now we have to wait for our teammates."

Jill took her place in the cockpit. 'Think Jill think.' Jill steadied her thoughts and went through the procedure that Chris had taught her. She was rewarded with lights coming on and the rotor starting up. "Now they have forty-five minutes."

"I thought we started counting down on the elevator." Claire said.

"Well I decided to start when I got the helicopter running." Jill responded.

"I would have done the same thing." Ada said. "A little extra time won't hurt."

Claire turned to Ada. "Just what happened between you and Leon?"

Ada looked at the floor. "I used him at first, but after a while I guess I feel for him. He's a very charming and caring man. Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm his girlfriend." Claire replied. "He thought you died. He was torn up about it."

"One, you're a very lucky young woman." Ada said. "Second, I'm sorry for what Leon had to go through. I'll make sure to apologize WHEN I see him. Besides, I have James now."

"You mean Hunk." Jill said.

Ada shook her head. "That' Hunk's real name. Umbrella gave him Hunk as his code name. It was the same thing with my agent number. It helps to hide our identities."

"I guess we all have we all have someone down there that we want to see return." Jill said. "I only hope they make it out in one piece."

The elevator doors opened and the men poured out.

"From here we only have to go down this hall, make a right, then a left, and pass through three storage rooms." Leon said. "This should be easy."

"Don't be so hasty." Ark said, slapping Leon on the back. "Every time someone says that, bad shit always happens."

Rick looked up at the other door. "Hey guys, why is the other elevator coming down?"

Barry turned to Rick, then to the elevator. He could hear the elevator car descending. "Don't tell me those things know how to operate an elevator."

"We have to move now." Chris said. "Carlos, Barry, Jess, help me slow these Tyrants down."

The men aimed their weapons at the door. Hunk led the rest down the hall. "We'll meet at the first storage room. Don't get yourselves killed now." Hunk said.

"We'll be there." Chris replied. "Chances are that we may bring some company."

The elevator came to a stop. The doors slowly opened to reveal nothing. Jess stepped forward, looking around the interior of the elevator car. He stepped back with a confused look on his face. "Where did they go? This is getting too fucked up."

Suddenly a claw shot through the roof of the elevator. Jess jumped back as the claw withdrew. It came down again. The other claw punctured the roof. The Finished Tyrant then proceeded to tear a hole in the roof. The Nemesis dropped from the hole and began towards the four men. "S.T.A.R.S." It growled.

"S.T.A.R.S. this amigo." Carlos opened fire, aiming for the legs. Several bullets tore through its left thigh. It roared in either pain or annoyance. Jess joined in, hitting the right thigh. The Nemesis backed off while holding its legs. The Finished Tyrant stomped passed the Nemesis. Barry aimed at its right kneecap and fired his Colt. The round entered, causing major damage. The Finished Tyrant Dropped to one knee, clutching its injured knee it pain. Chris pulled out his shotgun and fired at its chest. The Tyrant fell backwards. Chris looked at both Tyrants. They both seemed weaker than before. All the injuries combined with loss of blood were finally beginning to take its toll on them.

"You're not so perfect after all." Chris said. He turned to the others. "Let's get going. We can't afford to fool around. We don't have much time." The group ran off to join the rest of the party. After a few seconds, the Tyrants pulled themselves up and slowly plodded towards their prey.

Jeff looked at his watch. Only thirty-five minutes until he had to lift off. "Come on guys, you should almost be to the security room by now." Jeff was nervous as hell. If it weren't for the fact that he needed to start up the helicopter, he would be down there with his friend. "Come of Jimmy, don't let me down. You better get your ass up here and it better be fast."

"You concerned about your friend?" Jeff turned around to see Rebecca staring at him. "I'm worried about mine too. Chris, Leon, Barry, Carlos, Ark, I hope they all make it out of this alive, especially Carlos."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Kelly asked. 

"Not really." Rebecca responded. "Kind of. It's not official, but it's almost there."

"I'm worried about Max." Kelly looked towards the door. "Just yesterday we were just friends. This morning everything changed. We became official. Rick was right after all. Too bad Max and I couldn't have done this sooner."

"At least you did." Eliza said. "At least if we don't make it, you know he cares about you."

"What about you?" Rebecca asked Eliza. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

Eliza shook her head. "No, I never got into dating. Most of the boys in the schools I went to cared only about looks. They couldn't give a damn about a girl's personality. I also spent more time on my studies. I was at the top of my class when I graduated. Ever since, I've been so wrapped up in my work that I never thought of asking anyone out. The funny thing is that after today I'll be out of a job."

"So will we." Janet said. "We'll also be on the run. From what Nicholai said, Umbrella won't stop until all of us are dead."

"I always thought that I would retire from Umbrella." Jeff said. "I also thought I was on the right side. I can't believe that Umbrella used us or would make creatures like those Tyrants. If I see Nicholai again, I'm going to kick his ass into next week."

"I guess your team wants Nicholai just as bad as my friends want Wesker." Rebecca said.

"You mean the traitor Spencer brought back into Umbrella?" Janet asked.

"Yes, I do." Rebecca clenched her fists. "That traitor stabbed my team in the back. He caused my friends to die. That's why most of us are fighting, to avenge our teammates' deaths."

"If you're talking about Albert Wesker," Eliza said, "I think I know something about him."

Rebecca looked at her. "How do you know him?"

"He was my boss." Eliza said. "He oversaw the entire project. He expected daily reports on what we were doing. If you ask me, he was intimidating. He was the one who got me transferred here. He said I wasn't productive enough."

"We'll get both those guys." Kelly said. "But first we have to wait."

"You're right." Jeff turned back to the cockpit window. "For your sake guys, you better make this fast."

"This is it." Chris read the name painted on the door in yellow lettering. "We set this, then get out."

"One small problem," Leon said, "We have two big freaks blocking the way we came."

"Don't worry senor, we wasted them." Carlos patted Leon on the shoulder. "That Nemesis can barely walk."

"Neither can that other Tyrant." Barry added. "I blasted its knee to bits."  
  
"Enough talk." Hunk said. "We don't have time to be having this little discussion. Let's just set this timer and get out."

"I agree." Chris opened the door. "Barry, you and the others stand guard." He entered with Hunk followed him inside. The two men approached the control consul. "Let's light this place up." The two men began to go through the sequence. Chris looked at the screen. It had a message displayed with an option.

ENGAGE SELF-DESTRUCT Y/N

Chris turned to Hunk. "Ready?"

Hunk nodded. "Set it."

Chris hit the Y key on the keyboard. An alarm sounded, followed by a familiar female voice. "Thirty minutes till complete destruction of this facility. All personnel please vacate premises immediately. Self-destruct cannot be deactivated."

"Why do they use a woman's voice for this?" Chris asked.

Hunk shoved the door open. "Who knows and who cares? Time to move."

Chris followed Hunk and joined the others. "We have thirty minutes, so let's get moving. I don't want to be stranded here."

Max looked down the hall. "FUCK!" He yelled. There stood the Nemesis. "I thought you guys said he couldn't walk!"

"We were wrong." Jess said.

Chris whipped out his shotgun. "Time to end this." He ran up to the Nemesis and pointed the shotgun right at its face.

"S.T.A.R.S."

"Damn right." Chris sneered. He pulled the trigger, the shells slamming full-force into its face. Its head snapped back as its body lifted off the floor. It the ground with tremendous force, cracking the tiles. Chris holstered the shotgun and wiped the blood form his face. "Move."

The party passed the Nemesis' still form. Rick looked down to see its face an unrecognizable mess. "Damn, he really fucked up its face."

"It wasn't pretty to begin with." Leon said.

The group made it to the first storage room. They stopped when they saw the Finished Tyrants standing in their way.

"This is bullshit." Carlos said.

"No kidding." Barry replied. He shot one of the pipes, causing white steam to shoot out and into the Tyrant's face. While the beast was occupied, the team ran past it, trying not to inhale the steam. They made it through the other two storage rooms. They stopped to catch their breath. They were shocked to hear "S.T.A.R.S." echo behind them. "At least we're by them."

Chris looked at the controls for the door. "If only we could…" He noticed that the light was on. "I thought that the power had been shut off."

"The security system must have come on when we set the timer." Hunk said. "I believe it's a safety protocol."

"We could use this." Chris ran back into the room. He looked at the tanks. The labels read HYDROGEN- CAUTION: FLAMIBLE. Chris started to turn the valves, causing the gas to pour out into the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ark asked.

"Setting a trap." Chris replied. "Hunk, does anyone on your team know how to hot-wire a that door."

Hunk turned to Rick. "Rick, get on it." He turned to Chris. "What are you going to do?"

Chris ran up to the door. "I'm going to fill the room with hydrogen gas. I want Rick to be able to close the door we came through. When those Tyrants come into this room, we need to ignite the gas and shut this door."

"How's that going to stop those Tyrants?" Max asked.

"Ever heard of the Hindenburg? I learn very quickly in the Air Force that a hydrogen explosion is no joke. That room goes, and those Tyrants are history." Chris looked around. "I don't suppose any of you have a grenade."

Hunk produced a grenade. "For special occasions."

Rick finished working his magic, rewiring the control panel. "All set. Just give me the word."

Chris motioned for everyone to move beside the door. The Tyrants emerged from the hall and stepped into the room. Chris gave Rick a signal. Rick pushed a button and the door the Tyrants stepped through slammed shut. The monsters looked back before turning back to Chris. The Nemesis' face was oozing blood, some flesh and muscle stripped away to reveal the bone. The Finished Tyrant's right side was blistered from the steam.Chris looked at Rick. Rick had rewired the control panel to close the door on their side. He gave Chris the thumbs up. Chris pulled the pin and tossed the grenade into the room. He moved next to Rick and covered his head. Rick pushed the button and the door closed. The Tyrants looked down at the grenade seconds before in exploded, igniting the hydrogen. The door was blown off its track and crashed to the floor, followed by a fireball.

"Let's move." Chris said. The team ran for the elevator, leaving the raging inferno behind them.

Jill looked at her watch. "Come on, you don't have much time." She had heard the warning for the plant. With the self-destruct system activated, the whole team was running out of time.

"They should at least be on the elevator by now." Claire said. "The last place had a shorter countdown and we still got out with a few minutes to spare. They'll make it."

Jill looked back at her watch. "They just better make it fast."

Chris smacked the button, the elevator doors opening. "It shouldn't take us any more then fifteen minutes to get to the roof." Everyone piled into the elevator. Chris got in and was about to hit the button when he saw something that made his blood run cold. "Can't be." At the end of the hall stood the Tyrants, still smoking from the fire. Chris hit the button for B1.

Leon turned to Chris. "This is not good. Those things should be barbeque by now."

"Take about built to last." Rick said. "We may need a rocket launcher for those boys."

Chris was about to talk when another warning came over the PA system. "Twenty minutes till complete destruction of this facility. All personnel please vacate premises immediately. Self-destruct cannot be deactivated."

Chris looked at his watch. "That means we only have ten minutes."

Jill stared at the elevator doors. "They only have fifteen minutes."

The elevator opened and the occupants shot out. They broke into a mad dash for the other elevator. "When we get to the other elevators, we take both. I don't want those Tyrants following us up to the roof." Everyone agreed, not wanting to fight those monsters again. The made it to the elevators. Chris pushed both call buttons. The men stood by the doors, waiting as the elevator cars descended to their level. They could hear the Tyrants drawing near. The doors finally opened. The group split into two. Chris looked at his watch as the elevator began to climb. "Three minutes."

Jill looked at her watch. "Eight minutes."

"Two minutes."

"Seven."

"One."

"Six."

Chris closed his eyes. "Times up. We didn't make it."

Jill turned to Claire and Ada. "They have five minutes left."

"Shouldn't of mess with those Tyrants. I should have just got you guys out of there." Chris turned to his friends. "If it means anything, I'm sorry."  
  
"At least this plant will be destroyed." Barry said. "I just wish I could tell my wife and girls goodbye."

Leon looked at the floor. "Claire lost Steve, and now she's going to loose me. Not only that, she's going to loose her brother too."

"Maybe they're still waiting for us." Ark said.

Carlos looked at Ark. "Don't count on it."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The sight of the two helicopters still on the roof greeted Chris. Jill jumped from the cockpit, happy to see the guys still alive. Chris ran towards the helicopter, yelling over the sound of the rotors. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?"

Jill pointed at her watch. "YOU STILL HAVE TWO MINUTES LEFT."

"THIS PLACE GOES UP IN SEVEN. WE HAVE TO MOVE NOW." Chris took his place in the cockpit. The others split up. Leon, Barry, Jess, and Hunk climbed into Chris' copter. Max, Rick, Carlos, and Ark jumped into Jeff's. They were about to lift off when the door to the stairs exploded. The badly burned Tyrants stepped out.

"What did you do to them?" Claire asked.

"You don't want to know." Leon replied.

"Great, first elevators and now stairs. Can't Umbrella make these things dumber?" Barry asked.

Hunk turned to the other copter. "USE THE CHAINGUN TO BRING THEM DOWN!"

Carlos understood and grabbed the chain gun. Jess got behind his. Chris and Jeff both positioned the copters so the guns faced the Tyrants. Carlos and Jess opened fire. The .50 cal. rounds tore through the Tyrants, ripping them to shreds. The Nemesis' right arm and left leg got blown off while the Finished Tyrant had a hole drilled into its abdomen. It fell to the ground, its guts spilling out. The Nemesis also fell, its body in death spasms. The Tyrants finished, the copters left.

"Jill, I told you to wait forty-five minutes for us and then leave." Chris said. "Why were you still here?"

"With all due respect," Jill answered, "You never told me when I should start counting. I started counting after I got the copter going."

Chris sighed. He knew he would win this argument. Another thought entered his mind. He turned to Hunk. "Hunk, I believe you have a walkie-talkie. Think I can borrow it?"

"Sure." Hunk took his walkie-talkie off his belt and handed it to Chris. "Here you go."

Chris turned it on. "What line would Nicholai be on?"

"Line 6." Hunk said. "Why?"

"I just want to give him a little message." Chris switched to line six. "One he is not going to like."

Nicholai stood several miles from the plant. He was waiting for his pickup to arrive. He had deactivated the security system so it would be easier to destroy the plant when he had to. He had radioed in that he was in trouble. He said his team had been lost in combat with the enemy. He said he had barely survived and escaped after killing off the rest of his enemies. This was far from the truth. He had waited until the Tyrants had left before going to the elevator. While the traitors were fighting for their lives he had walked out the front door. From there it was only a quick jog to the pickup point. Now he waited, content that his plan had worked. He started to laugh before a familiar voice came over his radio.

"Hello Nicholai. Didn't expect this, did you?"

Nicholai grabbed his walkie-talkie. "Redfield. How did you survive my trap?"

"Simple, we worked together." Chris looked at the others and smiled. "Hunk and his team say hi, as do mine. It was tough, but we all managed to make it out in one piece. Nice thing that you decided to leave the copters."

Nicholai seethed with rage. "You may have escaped, but the building remains. The virus will spread and you will be blamed."

"Oh, now that you mention it, I'd find some cover very soon. You see we managed to not only kill off those Tyrants, but we also set the plant to explode." Chris looked at his watch. "So in a few seconds, that place is going down."

Nicholai caught a glimpse of the building just before it exploded, send debris raining down and a huge fireball upwards to the sky. He was beside himself. All his planning had been ruined. Now he would have to face Spencer's fury. The only thing worse would be Wesker's mocking insults as he took over the mission. "Listen Redfield, you have made a grave mistake. One that you will pay dearly for."

Chris' expression became serious, his voice biting. "Now you listen. You are the one who made a serious mistake. You infected all those people just to kill us. That was uncalled for. As for your plan, it failed, just like every attempt to get rid of us has failed. Ever since I got to Europe Umbrella's bloodhounds followed me. Each time they tried to take me out, they failed. I spent almost five months running, as have my friends. Well that is about to stop. I'm not running anymore. Tell Spencer if he wants to play, I'll play. Tell him I'm coming for him. Tell him the S.T.A.R.S. are coming for him. Nos Verdonya asshole." Chris switched off the walkie-talkie and handed it back to Hunk. "They'll all pay."

Nicholai threw down his walkie-talkie and stomped on it. He looked up into the sky to find the helicopters. He stopped two black dots flying into the distance. He narrowed his eyes. "They'll all pay."

Author's Comments: Damn, what a way to end the cliffhanger. Looks like the S.T.A.R.S. are ready to kick ass. Some running, some shooting, some explosions, and a little suspense make it a killer chapter. By the way, how'd you like a reference to the Hindenburg? In case you don't know, the Hindenburg was one of the early blimps that flew. That was when blimps were filled with hydrogen instead of helium, like they are now. Hydrogen is very flammable. It catches on fire easily. The Hindenburg for some reason got ignited and exploded in a gigantic fireball. Many people died and after that all blimps were filled with helium, which isn't flammable. Nice history lesson huh? Guess you can learn something new by reading. Well, with this chain of events the S.T.A.R.S. team may have gotten some new recruits. Spencer is going to be pissed. Also I apologize for my Russian. If I spelled it wrong, I'd appreciate if someone gave me the correct spelling. Time to see what happens next.

In the next chapter the team returns home with a few new guests. Looks like we need more beds. Plus, will Hunk's team stick around or go off on their own. What about Leon and Ada? Will these two come to terms with their reunion? Will Steve come back as well? (Yeah right. I think that would be pushing things a little too far. Seeing as how he was turned into a monster by Alexia, shot in the heart by Claire, and then vaporized when Chris dropped da bomb on the base, he can't get any more dead than he already is. Of coarse how Wesker survived getting impaled by the Tyrant and then escaping the mansion before it went boom is also something I find hard to believe, but that's just me.) See what happens in RE Armageddon: Part III, Chapter 10- Clean Slate.


	10. Clean Slate

Disclaimer: This story is based on the game series Resident Evil that is produced by Capcom. I make no money from this epic saga of mine, SO DON'T SUE ME!!!!

# Resident Evil: Armageddon

## Part III- Gaining Strength

### Chapter 10- Clean Slate

Written by: Striker

The helicopters approached the S.T.A.R.S. hideout. Chris had remained silent since his conversation with Nicholai. The others in Chris' copter didn't speak either. Jill had shifted towards the back. She had a feeling that Chris wasn't too pleased with her. She could also tell he was in one of his bad moods. His tone when he gave that Russian prick that warning was one he used only when he was really pissed. She remembered when she had seen this side of him before. It was after the mansion incident. Chris had been one edge for some reason. It was mid-August and he had started to cause problems. He rarely talked to anyone, either he would be at his desk or hold up in the shooting range. One time he really flipped out. Elran of the Boy's Crime department accidentally walked into Chris. The coffee Elran had in his hand splashed into Chris' face. Chris had grabbed his face and cursed. He then turned around and slugged Elran, almost breaking the kid's jaw. Chris would have pounded him if Jill hadn't of stepped in. She had grabbed his arm, trying to get him to stop. When Chris saw her, he winked and walked off. He left for a "vacation" the next day. The day after she received a call from him. It was around midnight when she got over to his apartment. It was there she learned that he had been investigating Umbrella himself for the last couple weeks. When he talked to her, he had used the same tone he had just used with Nicholai. Jill hoped that Chris wasn't reverting to his old self.

In the other copter, the atmosphere was different. They had no idea that Chris had talked to Nicholai. They were happy to be alive. Jeff looked back at his passengers. "Tell me again where we are going."

Carlos pointed at the other copter. "Just follow them. They know where to go."

"Carlos, do you guys always cut it so close when you escape?" Jeff asked.

"Story of our lives." Carlos replied. "It seems that we're always barely getting out in time. When Jill, Barry, and I escaped from Raccoon City, we passed the missile and saw the city get disintegrated. One of these days I think our luck will run out and we'll go up with whatever place we're trying to escape."

Janet looked at Carlos. "What is it with your urge to blow everything up. If you didn't have every building you step foot in primed to explode, you wouldn't have that problem."

"We're blowing these places up so Umbrella can't use them to create their viruses or mutants." Ark said. "We can't shut them down, so we have to destroy them."

"You're a government investigator. Aren't you?" Kelly asked. "Why doesn't the government do something?"

Ark looked out the window. "We tried. The government tried to get an explanation from Umbrella about what happened in Raccoon City. We got an answer that said it was some form of plague or some other contagious disease. We got nowhere. That's why my friend Carl wanted to make a deal with Leon. We found out what happened from him, but his testimony wouldn't be enough. Therefore, we need to destroy as many facilities as we can."

"Then why don't you take that deal?" Max asked.

"Because most of us don't trust the government." Rebecca said. "Especially Chris."

"Maybe know you should try to convince Chris to help the government." Rick said. "We're really up the creek here. Nicholai and just about everyone else who works for Umbrella will be after us. We need all the help we can get."

"I don't know." Carlos said. "Maybe he will, maybe he won't. All I know is that the S.T.A.R.S. have just got some serious reinforcements."

"Don't be so sure." Jeff said. "We have to see what Hunk wants to do."

The copters flew over the hideout before landing. Sherry, Lily, and Rott stood on the porch. "Stand behind me." Rott said. He raised the hunting rifle, aiming at the cockpit of the nearest copter. He saw the door open and Chris climb out. Rott lowered the rifle and headed for the copter. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER HELICOPTER?" He yelled.

Chris turned to Rott. "We decided to trade it in." Chris waited as everyone climbed out. When Jill got out he motioned for her to follow him. They headed for the back yard.

"Where are they going, and who are they?" Rott pointed Hunk and his friends.

"One, those two had a difference of opinion. Two, these people are in the same situation we're in." Barry said.

Rott scratched his head. "You mean Umbrella wants to kill them too?"

"Yes," Hunk said, "We were betrayed by Nicholai because we had doubts about Umbrella. I guess they weren't just unfounded speculations, were they?"

Barry patted Hunk on the arm. "Usually when one of us suspects something, it's usually right." Barry started for the house. "Come on, we might as well have something to eat."

Rick and Max stopped when they saw the cabin. "We must have picked the right side." Rick said.

"Amen." Max replied.

The others began to head for the house. They were all hungry from their ordeal. It was getting dark and a bit cold. Eliza started to take Ark's jacket off so she could give it to him. "Keep the jacket." Ark said. "I left something in the copter. Tell the others I'll be in soon."

"OK." Eliza watched Ark disappear behind the copter. Not thinking much she went into the house.

Ark stood behind the copter. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He breathed a sigh of relief that it didn't get broken during the mission. He looked around to make sure no one saw him. He then quickly dialed a number and waited for an answer.

Chris led Jill to the woodpile. It had been covered by a large, blue tarp to prevent the wood from getting soaked. Chris dug at the ground with his left foot. "We need to talk…"

"If it's about the factory we never told me when to start timing you." Jill cut him off, surprising him.

"You should have started as soon as those elevator doors closed. You also should have taken into consideration how much time you had until the plant exploded."

"Get to the point."

Chris looked Jill dead in the eye. "You put your personal feelings for me before the mission. You can't do that. That's why I separated us, so we wouldn't let our worries for each other compromise what we were doing. This didn't go for you and me this went for everyone. Umbrella will use our relationships against us. They'll try to get us to react with our feelings and make a mistake. More importantly Wesker will use our feeling for each other to get us. He knows that we're close. He'll use that to his advantage, just like he used our trust and fears in the mansion."

"I didn't want to leave without you, that's all." Jill was on the verge of breaking down. "I didn't want to loose you."

"I know." He hugged her, letting her cry. "I probably would have done the same. We just can't make the same mistakes in the future."

"Don't worry," Jill sobbed, "I'll try not to."

"Let's go." Chris said. "The others are waiting and it's getting cold out. And thanks for waiting."

Jill smiled as she wiped the tears away. "Even if I did life off, I would have come back when I saw you come out onto the roof."

"We had a hard day, let's get something to eat." Chris and Jill headed for the back door. Meanwhile Ark approached the front of the house. 

Barry and Rebecca spent an hour in the kitchen preparing dinner. They had help from Kelly, who turned out to be a good cook, and Chris, who got volunteered by Claire. The dining room table was wasn't big enough to seat everyone, so some ate in the kitchen and in the living room. Everyone was engaging in conversation, telling each other about their life and what they did before this whole mess with Umbrella started. Janet and Rick were still getting on each others backs, but toned it down because of the children. In fact, the children were getting along fine with the new people. Kelly and Sherry hit it off quickly, as did Eliza with Rott and Lily. The most important conversation, however, was in the dining room between Chris and Hunk.

"What can you tell me about Nicholai's operation?" Chris said before taking a spoonful of corn.

Hunk took a drink. "Well, his base is situated in the warehouse district of the city. There's a river that runs along one side. Attack from there would be dangerous due to the fact that there's no cover."

Chris swallowed. "What about manpower? How many people does he have available?"

"I'd say about thirty to forty men. I can't tell for sure since I some of them could have been out on patrol." Hunk looked over at Ada. "Ada and I took a little tour. He has enough men to protect that base if it comes under attack."  
  


"What about weapons?" Barry asked.

"They have sufficient firepower." Hunk replied. "From what I saw Nicholai had well over eighty guns and twice as much ammunition. He also had heavy explosives."

"Perfect for blowing up this building." Jill said, picking at her pork chop.

Ada took a drink from here glass. "They also had a lot of electronics there, as well as maps of the surrounding area. I saw several spots around the northern part of the city marked. I think you may have company soon."

Chris was thinking again, going over what was just said. He looked at Hunk. "Did Nicholai mention anything about Wesker?"

"Just that he doesn't trust the man as far as he can throw him. Nicholai believes that Wesker is planning something, and using Umbrella to do it." Hunk took another drink.

"So what else is new?" Jill said. "Wesker has double-crossed everyone he's worked for so far. Why should he stop now?"

Hunk continued. "He also told me that Spencer is creating…"

"Bio-organic weapons." Chris finished. "Project X."

"What's Project X?" Ada asked. "I was never told of it."

"That's funny. You were part of it." Barry replied. "This Project X is an operation to get rid of us. Spencer had planned a two-pronged attack. The first was with Nicholai and your team." Barry pointed at Hunk. "The second part involves Wesker and those bio-weapons. Nicholai was to find us and report to Spencer. If any of us escaped, Wesker would come in with those genetic monstrosities and finish the job. Since Nicholai failed, it's Wesker's turn."

"It won't be that easy." Hunk said. "Nicholai doesn't want Wesker to take over. He's afraid of failure."

"Why?" Barry asked.

"Because Nicholai is afraid of Spencer." Hunk responded. "And because he doesn't trust him. Nicholai believes the same thing that most of Umbrella's employees believe, that Spencer was behind Mr. Umbrella's death."

"The man kills off someone else so he can take over." The corner of Chris' mouth curled into a half-smile. "HA! I suspected that myself. The Spencers and Ashfords have been fighting over control of Umbrella for years. Each family claimed that they had founded Umbrella and that they created the T-virus. I'm not surprised that Spencer would do this. Thanks to Claire and I killing off the competition, we gave him the perfect opportunity."

"Nicholai also thinks that Spencer is mad." Ada said. "I heard that sometimes he gets so angry at people that he looks like he's going to kill them. He is not a nice person."

"I got that much reading that report." Barry said. "He's a nutcase."

"Between Nicholai and Wesker, we may be in a world of trouble." Jill said.

Chris stood up. "From what I see, we may still have a chance. With Eliza we have nine. Hunk has eight on his team. If we combine our forces, that'll make seventeen. That all depends on what Hunk wants to do." He turned to Hunk. "I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't what to do. If you decide to stay, great. If you decide to leave, I won't try to stop you. It's your decision, not mine."

Hunk stared at his plate. "I'll talk to my men now, see what they want to do. This has been a very surprising day. This morning we were with Umbrella. Now we are their enemy. Amazing how quickly your life can change."

"Sometimes it only takes one night." Chris said. "Or a few minutes."

Hunk and Ada got up and went to the front hall. Hunk called for his team. "Guys, come here. We need to talk."

Ada tapped Hunk on the arm. "Before we have this meeting, I have to talk to Leon."

"Make it quick." Hunk replied.

Ada walked up to Leon, who was sitting in the den with Claire and Sherry. "Leon, we need to talk."

"Sure." Leon got up and followed Ada out the front door.

Claire got up and was ready to follow when her brother stopped her. "Let them talk. This is something they have to work out on their own." He said. Claire nodded and sulked back to the couch.

Leon stood looking at Ada. "So what do you want to talk about?"

Ada lowered her head. "First I want to apologize."

"For what?"

"For the trouble I caused you. Claire said that you took my apparent death pretty hard. I want to tell you that I'm sorry."

"I did take it hard, but I got over it. I moved on, and now I'm with Claire. I love her very much. I don't want that to come between us. I know that you and Hunk are probably together. I don't care. I just hope we can be friends."

"I don't want to get between you and Claire either. Maybe if things were different, we would be together."

"Well, at least I know you're not dead. By the way, thanks for saving me from that Tyrant today. I own you one."

"More like two. Who did you think threw you the rocket launcher in Raccoon City? I figured that I had to help you for helping me."

"What do you mean?" Leon was confused by Ada's statement.

"That was the second thing I wanted to say. I wanted to thank you for opening my eyes. Every since Raccoon, I was a changed person. I began to see that what Umbrella was doing was wrong. I found it harder to face my life. It was as if you helped me find my conscience. I began to feel, to think. For the first time in my life, I couldn't abandon my identity like I was able to do with the others. You changed me."

"At least that's one thing I did right. I hope you decide to stay. We could use your help. Since Umbrella wants all of us dead, I say we should fight together. But no matter what happens, I hope we can be friends." Leon held out his hand.

Ada took his hand and shook it. "I hope so too. I better go Hunk is waiting for me." Ada ran back into the cabin. 

Leon looked up into the sky and smiled. "Maybe if things were different." Leon laughed to himself and went back inside.

Claire was waiting for him. "Well?"

"We're just friends." Leon said. "We both have someone else."

"How do you feel, you know, with Ada being alive?"

"Happy and sad."

Claire looked at him questionably. "Why are you sad?"

"I'm happy because Ada's alive. I'm sad because I know that there's no way Steve can come back." Leon looked at Claire. "I'm sad that not everyone we cared about alive."

Claire gave Leon a hug. "As long as we remember him, he'll always be alive in our hearts."

Leon just closed his eyes.

Hunk's group was standing in a circle in the back yard. Hunk faced his troops and took a deep breath. "As you know, Nicholai has betrayed us. Because of that, we are now enemies of Umbrella. We also know the truth about Raccoon City. That makes us dangerous to Umbrella and their cover-up. We have two choices. We can leave and try to fight Umbrella ourselves. The alternative, and the choice I favor the most, is to join Chris' group. The way I see it, they need our help and we need theirs. I say we stay. What do you want to do?"

Ada stepped forward. "I say we stay. Out there we don't stand a chance. Like Chris said, seventeen is better than eight."

Jeff spoke up. "I think we should also stay. From what I heard, Ark is a government investigator. He told me that Leon was offered a deal by the U.S. government to help them. If we stay, we may be able to get on that deal."

Jess spoke next. "I think we should join them. They know more than we do. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we helped them. Besides, we do need a place to stay."

Kelly raised her hand. "I want to stay. These people are nice. They seem to care about others more than themselves. And from what I saw in the plant, they know what they're doing. I say we stay."

"I'm with Kell." Max said. "They're good fighters and also care a lot about what they're doing. They offered us to join, so they must want our help. I say we give it to them."

"I'm in." Janet said. "By ourselves Umbrella would crush us. At least if we team up with these guys, we stand a chance of making it out of this mess alive. I also think we owe them for the plant. They didn't have to help us."

Rick was the last to speak. "I say go for it. These people need our help as much as we need theirs. Besides, I like these people. I think we'd make a great team. Maybe we can get a piece of that deal if we chip in. After all, we're in the same mess. Right?"

"It's agreed then." Hunk said. "Time to go tell Chris. He said he'd be in the living room." The group went back inside and made their way down the hall. The others had gathered around the TV. The children were on the floor. Barry was in his recliner. Ark sat in the chair next to the loveseat, Eliza sitting on the one arm. Carlos and Becky had taken the loveseat and looked like they were cuddling. Leon sat on the right side of the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, much to Barry's dislike. Claire was next to him, holding his hand. Chris was at the other end, leaning into the corner. Jill sat next to him, leaning one his chest. Her hands were on her knees, her legs doubled up. Chris had his arms around her. He looked up as Hunk came into the room. "We've made our decision. We what to help you, we want to join your team."

Chris smiled. "We had a talk about letting you in. I'm happy to say that we could use your help. Welcome aboard Hunk."

Hunk shook his head. "Don't call me Hunk. That was my name when I was in Umbrella. Call me by my real name, James Cooper."

"As for me," Ada said, "I'm Ada Wong, survivor from Raccoon City." 

"If you guy's are going to join us," Barry said, "We need to decide where you're going to sleep. Let's see." Barry thought out a new room plan. "I'll stay where I am, as will the children, Becky, Carlos, and Ark. Chris and Jill will sleep in Chris' room. Jill's room will go to Jim and Ada. Claire will move into Leon's room so Max and Kelly can have hers. There are plenty of couches for the rest of you. I can get some blankets and pillows for each of you."

"Thanks." Jim said. "I appreciate what you're doing for my team."

"No problem. Funny thing is Spencer expected you to kill us. Instead you're helping us. I bet Nicholai can't wait to see Spencer. And like I said before, welcome aboard." Chris held out his hand. "You're now a part of S.T.A.R.S." 

James took his hand. "Don't worry Chris, we won't let you down."

#### One day was all it took. In one day our lives were changed for the better. In that one day we became stronger than we ever were before. James' team found out the truth and chose to join us in our fight against Umbrella. We got some new allies, including Eliza, and scored a major victory over Nicholai. Most of all, we proved that we could work together to overcome anything Umbrella put in front of us. We saw this as another win, as proof that things were going our way. In reality, it was just one step towards the inevitable final battle we would fight against Umbrella. During this war someone told me that good and evil were picking teams for the great battle. When I asked about James' group, I was told that sometimes evil tricks people to joining its side. It's only when these people realize that they are fighting for the wrong team. I guess Jim and his group found that out the hard way. Fortunately for them, and for us, we survived and became what Spencer feared most. S.T.A.R.S.

Author's Comments: With that ends Part III. What a whirlwind chain of events. Chris' team and Hunk's team start out as enemies only to become allies. All it took was a little talking, a little fighting, and two cliffhangers involving a standoff and a double-cross for it to happen. Well, Nicholai is basically screwed. Come on, do you think Spencer will give him another chance. I think it would go like this. "I'm sorry Spencer. If I could only…" BANG! I would want to Nicholai right now. Also a few things to mention. One is that Ada DOES throw Leon the rocket launcher in his B game. From what I read form several web pages that the mystery woman LOOKS like Ada, SOUNDS like Ada, so it MUST be Ada. Two is that I got Hunk's real name off of several web pages. His name is James Cooper. Jim and Jimmy are nicknames for James. I should know, my uncle's name is James and I call him Jim. In the same vein, Kell is short for Kelly, or so I think. It's just like Becky is short for Rebecca. By the way, if I am wrong about Hunk's name, tell me nicely. I'd appreciate it. One final note, how about Ark. Get your conspiracy theories ready for who you think he called. Expect this issue not to be resolved for quite a while. And also assume that Eliza is part of the S.T.A.R.S. team, even if I didn't write a scene showing it. I can do that in the next Part.

We are halfway done with this massive story. Yippy! In the next Part the action heats up even more as new dangers abound. Everything is quickly escalating towards Armageddon. Soon the final pieces will be in place, and the countdown will be over. With only two parts remaining the war between the S.T.A.R.S. and Umbrella will intensify. In the next chapter, things look bad for the S.T.A.R.S. team as Umbrella finally discovers their hideout. Will our heroes live, or will this be the end of the line. Find out in RE Armageddon: Part IV, Chapter 1- On the Run.


End file.
